Possiblities
by Kd Zeal
Summary: Trapped in a cave by the Twins, finally released by Ratchet, Starscream has long way to go to recover. Finished
1. Chapter 1

This was an rp between Dende and myself. She played Ratchet, I played Starscream. Very much fun. Inspired by LittleMewLugia's Drone and Claustrophobia fics, with her permission, so if it seems familiar, that's why. We don't own Transformers, we're not making money. Please, enjoy the fic!  


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Striding through the halls with a pace that betrayed his anger and irritation easily, Ratchet moved swiftly to the rec room, where he knew the twins to be receiving this month's duty roster. Ironhide had just received his maintenance check for the orn and had offhandedly joked about how a Seeker trapped in a cave beneath the ground would hold up and for how long. After inquiring what he was going on about, knowing not to contemplate his friend's words too seriously, seeing as he knew him well and wouldn't ever expect him to actually do what he was just speculating about, Ratchet had caused a few... dents in one of his work surfaces. Actually, he had quite literally lost it and Ironhide had been required to hide himself behind the repair berth on which he had been resting his bulk just astroseconds before. Ratchet had been livid at discovering that the twins had done what Ironhide had just lamented over, spilling it in the rec room the night before during one of Jazz's many well organized parties to lift their soldiers spirits. Fact was, Ratchet was still livid, he wanted to slam the door open just to hear a satisfying resounding crash, but, like most doors in the Ark, the one to the rec room just slid open obediently at his approach. Two of his wrenches went flying without regard nor a cursory glance, hitting their unsuspecting targets dead on, and an uproar starting around him, but Ratchet didn't notice, nor would he have cared.

"What in the smelting pit went through your glitched excuses of CPU's when you did that?! How long has he been confined in there already? Enemy or no enemy, no one, absolutely no one deserves such cruelty! But knowing both of you I should've known not to expect better of you! Do you even realize what you rejects have done?!" he thundered madly, a dangerous gleam in his optics that had the twins taking small steps back from him. It was times like these that the Ark bots realized just how much those hellions could actually fear the CMO, because he was bloody scary when in a full blown rage.

How... how long had he been in here? Starscream didn't know, he had lost track of time. It didn't matter anyway, there was no reason to keep track of time, he wasn't going to get out no matter how long he was down here. Huddled in the middle of the tiny cave, the Seeker kept his optics trained on the blocked entrance. Sometimes, he thought he could see light seeping through the small cracks. Most of the time, he knew he couldn't. Hands convulsively stroking his wings, Starscream continued to stare at the entrance and whimper, he was probably going to start screaming again soon... He thought he heard something like the sound of engines, he must really be desperate if he was having auditory hallucinations... it was still enough to start his screaming again.

As it had shaped up to be one of the worst dressing downs the Twins had ever received at full volume, Optimus Prime and Prowl had tried to intervene, yet a warning head shake and frantic flailing of his arms from Ironhide had made their leader reconsider. Listening to the almost garbled words the CMO practically spat out, his vocalizer glitching at the higher notes, so stressed were his systems, the Autobot leader's optics widened in surprise, then quickly narrowed in anger. He didn't even have to order Prowl to throw them into the brig for at least three human earth days, actually his 2IC had suggested to contain them longer. In his anger Ratchet whirled around from the by now cowering twins, glaring all around the rec room, making Ironhide shrink back with a guilty expression on his faceplates. Like most others that had partied the night before, he had laughed about the Seeker's misfortune, never even contemplating the consequences such actions may have had on the Decepticon's systems. Yet now, after Ratchet's quite detailed tirade, he knew all too well, and as Sideswipe whimpered out that he had been in there for almost six weeks now, Ratchet's vocalizer fritzed out from sheer denial. Even with his vocalizer down, he was a formidable force, and he quickly got what he wanted from their commander, making the twins lead the way to the cave, requesting Ironhide as back-up should the Seeker be too far out of his mind to realize that they were there to help him and turn hostile instead of docile.

Turning wheels already burned rubber as they hit the tarmac, seeing as Ratchet had started with high gear in mid transformation. It was fascinating how fast Ratchet could be when need be, he almost managed to outrun and outmaneuver the twins, not a feat easily accomplished, almost biting their rears to drive them on faster and faster, his sirens blaring full scale.

"Please... is anyone out there, let me out...!" Starscream's words were very much hopeless, screeched from habit and despair, not hope. So far, the Seeker had mostly been able to keep himself from clawing at the rock... mostly, his hands were still covered with dried energon from a few failed attempts. He was SURE he heard the wail of a siren now... He hadn't heard anything but the echo of his own screaming before. Aside from screaming, the Seeker didn't move, hands still clutching his wings just to provide stimulation for them.

Approaching the slope in which the mentally insane frontliners had imprisoned the enemySeeker, Ratchet felt an uncomfortable tug at his spark while listening to the desperate pleas for help, mixed in with apologies, inquiries if there was even anyone there and sometimes even sobbed out promises that he wouldn't do it again, that he would keep to any regulations, even stay on the ground if he'd only be released. By now Starscream's mental state had apparently destabilized so badly already that he was pleading with imaginary torturers, the twins were amongst the names he cried out to, as well as his trine mates and even Megatron. Most surprisingly though was the number of Autobots he was begging to release him, clearly stating that he subconsciously still knew who had imprisoned him.

Dimly, Ratchet noted that the Seeker kept to the names of soldiers he had encountered on the battlefields, such as the twins, Ironhide, Prowl, Jazz, yet not Optimus. Strange indeed... Out of all the Autobots, surely the Decepticons 2IC had to know that Optimus was the most merciful one, so why wasn't he asking for release from him? Revving his engine angrily after he'd shut off his siren, he got the twins to transform and started on melting down the rocks that had kept blocking the entrance. "Stand back from the entrance, Starscream. We're getting you out," Ratchet advised, yet received no reply from the Seeker. Instead of reacting to his words, Starscream's cries didn't even pause, though they were merely quiet murmurs and sobs by now.

Apparently they had quieted down with time as the Seeker realized that there was still no change. Movement outside of the cave probably wouldn't have registered on his scanners anymore by now. Ratchet was certain that he had fried those already, likely due to keeping them online for far longer than he should have, instead of just sweeping the area he probably kept a constant overview of it in his processor. For a short time that would have helped him, keeping him sane, knowing that the sky was still out there. Ratchet had worked with fliers before, in fact one of his instructors in the Academy had been a flier. Seldom as it was to have a flier model become a medic, he had been one of the kindest sparks Ratchet had ever encountered.

Ironhide was monitoring the twins' progress and signaled him with a motion of his hand that it was safe to approach for him now. Transforming into his bipedal mode swiftly, he pushed past them once the rocks crumbled, cutting the molten mass into slices with a medical high power laser so they would get out of his way faster. Peering into the dark, he encountered two flickering red optics that quickly blackened out at the harsh assault of the bright light they weren't used to anymore. The cave's ceiling was so low hung that he had to crouch down onto his knee joints to see even that far in. It was a pitifully small enclosure, no matter what the deed done... this had been an exaggerated cruelty on the twins' part. Holding out his hand, hoping that the Seeker would still be able to use some small range scanners, if he hadn't fried those as well, Ratchet steadily approached the shivering mess of the once proud Air Commander.

"Come on, Starscream... the entrance is open now. You can get out of here... all you need to do is either follow my voice or grasp my hand and I'll guide you." He spoke softly to the clicking mech, knowing that not even Ironhide had ever heard him use such a tone with a patient, or even a friend for that matter. Ratchet hadn't wanted to have to use it ever again... not after the trauma Bluestreak had went through... not after listening to the youngling's horrible recounting of the destruction he had been forced to witness and function through.

He had despised the Decepticons for their cruelty then and he still did, yet right now he was equally angry at the twins for their actions against the frightened Decepticon that would now fall into his care, if he wanted to or not, for Hook would surely not be able to deal with such severe mental trauma. He would have to let Optimus know about that, they would need an escort to take them back to the Ark, Starscream would surely be unable to fly the distance and if Ratchet was honest with himself, he surely wouldn't want him to either.

"Let me out, let me out, please let me out..." Starscream muttered, still staring blindly at the entrance. His muttering didn't stop as he cocked his head a little, giving every appearance of studying Ratchet before reaching forward blindly. The Decepticon's surprise was perfectly evident when his groping hand found the medic's, and silence fell abruptly as he shakingly explored, first the hand, and then the arm, stopping before he reached the shoulder. "Out?" He moved to all fours, or rather all threes, one hand still tightly latched to Ratchet. It WAS a mech under his hand, he wasn't so far gone to imagine THAT... or maybe he was imagining, it didn't really matter, it was better that knowing he was trapped in the cave.

It took some time, but Starscream finally managed to focus on him, optics still offline, too strained to correctly interpret the bright spectrum already, he wouldn't be able to do that on his own without receiving a calibration first, Ratchet noted. Most surprising, though, was the hand reaching forward, actually managing to find and grasp his own. He held utterly still while the Seeker's fingers skipped up his armor, seeing as any sudden movement would only startle and ultimately disturb Starscream. Still trembling, his wings shivering as if either overheating or affected by frozen coolant lines, the hand reached his shoulder and clasped it firmly. What truly surprised Ratchet was the small, compliant and hopeful vocalization that inquired if he would actually get out now. "Yes, Starscream, we're getting you out. Just follow me." And with that Ratchet lightly laid his hand on the Seeker's elbow, guiding him along while allowing him to support part of his weight on his own, taking the other half on his shoulder without question.

It was... awkward as all pit, trying to crawl out of the entrapment without loosing contact of the mech under his digits. Awkward, and painful, Starscream couldn't see and was too focused on the mech to keep very good track of where the rest of his own body was. The Seeker only whimpered when his broad wings got a little too close to the wall, scraping with an ugly rasp, and he didn't realize they were out until his guide stood. His guide was standing, but he still couldn't see anything, how did he know if they were truly out...? Maybe they weren't out, maybe there had been more to the cave than he'd known, maybe this was just a trick...! Giving a sudden keen, Starscream froze, trembling, torn between shoving his guide away and latching onto him for all he was worth.

Slowly he backed up out of the cave, pausing as he heard the rasp and answering whimper of the Seeker. Oh, the twins would get their share of punishment for this, he would make sure of that. As they emerged into the late afternoon sun he had to stifle a gasp at the energon stains littering the Seeker's wings and hands. Now that he could actually pay attention to his patient in more than just a heat-dark-spectrum, he noticed that some of the energon was partially fresh, leaking from the knuckles that had apparently faced a lot of abuse lately to still be leaking after only a flex of the local systems. A thin stain made it's way up Ratchet's arm to his shoulder, where a bigger stain pooled together and was now slowly trickling down over the red cross emblazoned onto his armor.

A sideways glare at the twins had them backing up and away from them. Standing up carefully, he managed to ease Starscream into a standing position alongside him, if still a bit hunched seeing as the Seeker was trembling, wings still shivering and somehow more believing in the support his hold on Ratchet's shoulder gave him than his own legs. Not a good sign, not for a Seeker as self righteous and arrogant as this one. The twins' abrupt snickering was brought to a halt by the sound of metal on metal as Ironhide slapped both of them upside their cranial units.

"You glitches get outta here this instant. I don't need incompetent and cruel lambos standing in my way," Ratchet growled into their direction, and the twins obediently transformed, engines idling after they had shot up the slope that lead to a somewhat even terrain that could be followed to a roughly street like path. He noted that the Seeker was now trembling worse than ever, but just as he feared he'd break away, try to transform and fly directly into the rocks... he didn't, instead he latched onto his shoulder with both arms now, hiding his cranial unit in between his elbow joints and almost collapsing as his legs and wings rattled from his intense shivering.

His thrusters gave a pitiful garbled noise, as if he had tried to spin them in fright, trying to ward off an attacker. It was a pitiful and sorry sight to experience the Seeker in a state like this, and it instantly went to Ratchet's spark, calming him down enough to give his patient the support he needed right now. "Sorry, Starscream. It's alright now. Do not fear. I'll get your leaks patched once I have enough materials at my hand, for which we'll get you to the med bay. Now tell me: Can you still transform? Don't try it now, just tell me if you can," he inquired gently.

They were here! The imprisoners, the tormentors! He considered trying to fly away, but no, they might still be underground... Starscream wasn't so messed up as to want to injure himself, and so instead he clung to his guide. His guide, his rescuer... the one who made the tormentors go away... and also the one who was asking him a question. With the same blind look at Ratchet's face that Starscream had given before, the Seeker nodded slowly. "T... transform, yes. I... I..." Slag, he had almost forgotten...! "Even outside, I wouldn't... I, my thrusters, I tried to melt, it melted and... and... But transform, yes."

His processor started lightly at the seemingly unconnected statements of the Seeker, but then he made the connection. Apparently the Seeker had, in his desperation, tried to melt the entrance open himself, just that his thrusters had been caught by some of the most likely caused rock drips. Some rocks tended to drip when melting and a quick scan of the cooling, but still a good few hundred degrees warm, slope of rocks that had covered the entrance confirmed that fact for Ratchet. That was probably why his thrusters had garbled, some of the sensitive inner circuitry, probably even some of the vent platings, must have melted as well.

It was reassuring that Starscream still had some kind of direction sense left, after all he had managed to address Ratchet with his head lifted and even though he was just staring ahead blindly, focusing more on the medic's neck joint with his blind stare than anything else, it was reassuring that his processor wasn't lost far enough to have messed up basic functioning yet. The fact that he could transform but wouldn't due to the fact that he wouldn't be able to take to the air was as concerning as it was understandable, he would after all dive to the ground almost instantly without his thrusters to support him.

"Alright, that's a good sign, Starscream. I won't have to alter any transformation cogs then, which would have been a quite time consuming process, and I guess that you want this to be over as fast as possible. We will contact your leader then and tell him that your going to be released as soon as you're stable and don't need immediate medical attention then," Ratchet informed the Seeker. He had always found it easiest to calm the more nervous patients by telling them exactly what he would have to do. Beside that, Starscream was blind right now, so it was only polite to tell him where they'd be going, because he wouldn't be able to see so for himself.

"NO!" Starscream screeched, crying the denial against Ratchet's shoulder plating, where he had again buried his head. "No, no...! Don't make me leave, no, please!" Megatron would be so disappointed in him, disappointed and disapproving, and Starscream couldn't make himself let go of Ratchet. Couldn't make himself let go, but he needed to explain, needed to make Ratchet understand so he wouldn't be forced to go back. "I'm weak, Megatron has no place for weaknesses in his ranks, DON'T make me go back, please!" Explaining would probably go better if he wasn't screaming at full volume while clinging to the medic like an earth-leech...

"Ironhide, have you radioed in yet?" Ratchet inquired and received an affirmative nod from the weapons specialist as well as a data burst. Opening the file, he gathered that Skyfire had been dispatched at his request and that it had taken Jazz a good breem to reason out why. Optimus had wanted to come himself, but Prowl had ultimately vetoed him, stating that Ratchet's logic was sound and that he should stay in base. Giving Starscream a flight based transport would reassure his logic center that he was finally outside and not under ground any longer, and lift his spirits by that knowledge. Ultimately Optimus had had to concede to that logic, sending Skyfire out to them with Jazz, so that the saboteur could oversee that the twins didn't make more of a mess out of the situation by sending them back to base on ground, with Ironhide as their baby sitter. Distracted by the data burst to a point where he kept only a light tap on the shivering Seeker, Ratchet was taken by surprise at the sudden shouting and reflexively jerked his head around, trying to cover his audio receptors by changing their angle and reception. He had no idea why Starscream was panicking now, until he processed the Seeker's last words. Oh pit... why did negotiations have to fall to him in this?

"We would never make you leave, Starscream. We could never be cruel enough to just cast a suffering spark aside.... well, at least normal Autobots wouldn't," Ratchet added with a glare to the idling twins, who reflexively backed up a few more meters. "I will keep you in medical for as long as I deem necessary, but after that you will either be released onto your own or you can have a little chat with Optimus, Prowl and Jazz for more permanent solutions." He aired, absently stroking over the Seekers elbow joint and cranial unit to comfort him.

He didn't hear all of what Ratchet said, Starscream knew he was only processing little parts... only listening to the words he wanted to hear. 'Never make you leave'... how nice... The Seeker suddenly noticed he had a death grip on the medic, and pulled back a little with a soft click. He needed contact still, needed to know he was safe from the imprisoners, and not alone, but... Feeling a familiar tickle over his chassis, Starscream squeaked, looking around blindly and twisting... "Wind? Wind... outside? But why can't I see..." He shook his head, his conclusion had to be wrong.

A soft clicking was his only answer as Starscream pulled back a little, apparently assured for the moment, so he let him go, taking his hand away from his cranial unit and gesturing to Ironhide to look where the twins had gone off to, seeing as they weren't visible anymore. Startled by a loud squeak he turned to his patient, an expression of wonder, doubt and intense concentration flashing over the Seeker's face as he contemplated why it could be that he was feeling wind on his wings. The fact that the scratched, dented, and energon stained appendages could register the little breeze at all calmed Ratchet greatly.

"Yes, Starscream, you finally are outside. But I must caution you to tread carefully still. I will have to recalibrate the input data stream of your optical sensors and that is not going to be easy. So it might take a little time, for I will recalibrate them one setting at a time," he quietly explained to the Seeker. Starscream still looked lost and confused, if a little more comprehending and trusting than before. Ratchet knew he had a long recovery ahead... a long time in the brig for the twins, it appeared, seeing as Optimus had decided that the twins would spend every breem they weren't on duty in the brig until Starscream had made a full recovery.

Ohh... his optics weren't functioning correctly. That... "Please... R... Ratchet? You're Ratchet? Please..." He knew others were around, the tormentors were, and... and hadn't Ratchet spoken to Ironhide? It didn't matter, he needed to know this information, and... and it just didn't matter, he was weak, weak like an Autobot... "What did I do? Why... why was I punished so much?"

He was startled by the Decepticon once again as he actually spoke in a quiet and hesitant voice. It wasn't really surprising that Starscream knew his name, what was surprising was the way he pronounced it, without the usual malice or intended insult. "That's a difficult question to answer, Starscream. I'd say the twins were just being random glitches again, but on the other hand, they actually had a right to be upset. You see, when you took out that last power station... you didn't only scratch Sunny's paint, but you actually managed to blow up a facility where they produce his specially ordered paint, so he couldn't get a repaint for a month. I have no idea why he is as picky with his paint as he is, he just is and he was probably just still angry about it and when they saw you on a solo patrol, they jumped at the chance to get some payback. Being the malfunctioning rejects that they are, however, twisted that random idea into the torture you received. I'm sorry, Starscream, but my guess is that they honestly believed you deserved so." Ratchet tried to tread carefully, uncertain as to how the Seeker would react to such news, but there was no angry outburst, nor any other physical response he may have had expected.

Starscream simply stood, looking in Ratchet's direction and absorbing the information. "Did I?" He wasn't asking if he had done the actions, he DID remember them... at least, he thought he did. He was just trying to figure out if he HAD deserved what the tormentors had done to him, or if hadn't. Ratchet... didn't quite seem to think he had, not calling it torture like that... A wing trembled, and Starscream absently reached over and stroked it, trying not to be angry with his body for betraying his concern. He was weak, he'd already said that, so he didn't have to be angry over losing control, not yet, not until he was strong again.

The tremble in the Seeker's question was pitiful at best, made even worse so by the almost spasmodic trembling of one of his wings, which he tried to alleviate by stroking over it. Not that that worked, but it did remind Ratchet of the Seeker's anatomical specialties. Fliers in general responded positively to the stimulation of their flight appendages, so Ratchet chanced to trace the wing edge with one of his digits carefully, smiling lightly as the platings stopped trembling.

"I refuse to be a judge on that. You'll have to decide that for yourself." He responded kindly, but made it clear that he would not influence the Seeker's opinion on the matter. Lifting his head at the sound of a familiar rumble in the air, he could see a streak of white approaching on the late afternoon sky.

He drooped at the unhelpful answer, but brightened a little as the medic helped bring his body back under control. Ratchet's hand felt good, gentle and careful... Starscream decided for himself that Ratchet did NOT think his punishment was deserved, at least not to the extent to which it had gone. Feeling much cheerier, Starscream lifted his head as he heard an engine coming from above. What had Ratchet said... he was going to be taken back to the Autobot base...? But if the transport was coming from above... Skyfire! Despite the hand still on him, the Seeker's wings started trembling again. "I don't want him to see me like this..."

"Starscream..." Ratchets vocalizer caught on the name, surprised at the Seeker's insistence not to see the scientist that had been his friend long ago, but ultimately understanding that that was probably the precise reason why he didn't want him to see him. "He won't scan you, I promise," he murmured, shifting his digits up the Seeker's wing edge once more, intending to reassure him, while he sent the message to Skyfire via com link. The shuttle agreed to land a safe distance away from them, so that they could approach him from the back where his scanners wouldn't be able to pick them up if he blinded them, counting on the protection Ironhide and the twins would provide.

He was acting like a frightened, cowardly sparking, hiding like this... And worse, Starscream didn't really care, at this point in time he would be perfectly content to just take Ratchet with him and hide away from everyone, just his rescuer and the sky. It was stupid and irrational, but the Seeker just didn't care about rationality at the moment, no one ELSE had come for him, no one else cared, so why should he care what they thought was rational? He gave a soft sight as Ratchet again tried to calm him, just barely managing not to moan. The hand felt nearly as good as the breeze he could still feel.

Seeing as there was no verbal reply from Starscream, Ratchet assumed that it would be okay. He just hoped he had understood the Seeker right. Receiving the message from Ironhide that Skyfire had indeed landed just behind a hill, where there was just enough space to fit his bulk, Ratchet tugged lightly on Starscream's elbow joint. "Can you walk with me just a little further? It's not too far and I'm certain you wouldn't want me to carry you there. The twins and Ironhide are en route to the Ark already, only Jazz is going to accompany us. Is that alright with you?" It wasn't as if it would matter, or do them any good should Starscream disagree with anything, but Ratchet still felt compelled to tell him and ask his opinion. His processor needed stimulation after the weeks he had spent lacking it and Ratchet didn't want him to revert back to a shivering mess. At least now he appeared to trust him... well, somewhat anyway.

Well, no, he really didn't want to be carried, not where everyone could see him anyway. "My legs are fine," Starscream answered Ratchet's query, a ghost of his normal arrogance coloring his voice. His hand, however, never let go of the Autobot. "Jazz... Saboteur? He's alri... music? It was silent..." Starscream made a vague motion at where the thought the cave was, trying to convey without really explaining... Music would make things DIFFERENT than what he had just suffered, the more differences the better.

It was a good reaction he got out of Starscream, some of the Seeker's usual persona appeared to be resurfacing into his processor as he quite indignantly pointed out to him that he could use his legs after all. If the situation hadn't been so serious, it would have amused Ratchet to hear him arguing with an Autobot like this. Yet the situation was this serious for a reason, the Seeker had been hurt beyond reason by two of their own and it was on him now to repair the inflicted damage.

Difficult though it was, he still got the hint the Air Commander subtly tried to give him, sending Jazz a quick data burst took care of the request instantly. They could suddenly hear some hearty jibes and rhythmic pulses flowing though the air and he instantly felt the tenseness evaporating out of Starscream's wing plates. "Come on then," Ratchet said. He pushed slightly and let go of the wing, guiding the Seeker with a hand still on his elbow joint, neither encouraging nor berating Starscream for clasping his arm a little bit too tight with both of his own, obviously concerned about loosing the Autobot leading his way to safety.

Starscream DID give a softly disappointed mewl as the hand left his wing, but Ratchet wasn't trying to get away, just to give him enough room to move. Seeking out Jazz from the sound of the music playing, he tried to give a smile, the music DID help and as long as the Autobots were helping him, he'd have to play nice anyway. The Seeker couldn't help the scared whimper he gave when he felt metal under his pede instead of the organic dirt, this meant he was soon going to be enclosed again, and worse, so close to Skyfire... Starscream decided not to think about it as Ratchet led him to a seat and took one beside him.

Walking up the slope and over the hill to meet up with Jazz and then board Skyfire was no problem at all, Starscream kept pace with him easily and even went so far as to throw a quick grin at Jazz. The slightly confused saboteur grinned back widely, winking his hand at them as he followed them up the ramp, crinkling his faceplate as he received Ratchets data burst that the Seeker was momentarily blinded due to a still lacking calibration of his optical input sensor. Taking seats, Ratchet made sure to have Starscream sit between them, hoping it would prevent the Seeker from starting too badly should Skyfire's start jolt his systems.

"It's alright, shhh," he comforted him quietly, stroking over a wing lightly and allowing the Seeker to press up against the side of his chassis as much as he could while still staying seated. Starscream's wings were quivering, his dermaplates opened as if to admit a scream that never left his vocalizer, digits lightly scrapping at the paint of Ratchet's lower arm. Frightened, the Seeker was utterly frightened, but the supportive hand Ratchet kept on his wing appeared to help him at least a little bit. It had to be a disjointed feeling to know that he was flying because of another instead of his own engines when Starscream so clearly had the ability to lift his own chassis from the ground himself.

This was... wrong... He could fly... no. He couldn't. Not right now. Aside from being blind and his sensors shorted out, there was the simple impossibility caused by the damage he had done to his thrusters. He couldn't fly, and couldn't feel the wind against this wings, and... Starscream was aware that he was panicking again, scratching at Ratchet... He kept silent, Skyfire had to know he was here, but if he screamed, he would KNOW... and know just how badly off Starscream was. But with Ratchet's hand against him, the Seeker could almost imagine the touch was the wind. Searching blindly, Starscream found Jazz's hand, put it against his other wing, there, that helped the illusion, he'd be okay now... he thought he'd be okay. As long as the ride didn't take very long...

Apparently Starscream had either just lost it completely or his wings were a distraction to his processor that kept him from panicking. Either way, Ratchet was glad Jazz didn't fight the Seeker, not that it would have done him any good, Starscream's grip was tight, or rather it had been until he'd let go of Jazz's hand to wrap himself around Ratchet's right arm once more, clinging to him and shivering, but not whimpering anymore. Could it be that he was... ashamed? It made sense once Ratchet contemplated it. Starscream was proud, vain, and obnoxious beyond reason, of course he would manage to find something wrong with letting anyone but a medic know about his weakened state. And even that small amount of trust probably wasn't even due to Ratchet's profession, but the simple fact that he had found out before the Seeker had had time or advantage to hide it from him.

Comforting the shivering mech as best as he could, instructing Jazz to keep his touch to light motions so as not to further the Seeker's damage via com link, Ratchet mentally prepared the med bay. He knew exactly what he would need for the repairs already and radioed in to have Wheeljack search for the materials he would require in a bigger amount than the med bay's standard capacity. That would mean he wouldn't have to go screaming for the missing parts later on and chance scaring his patient into stasis lock or even worse, a panic attack that would worsen his condition needlessly. It was a precaution he seldom took with their own soldiers, but that had a reason, because if the soldiers feared him, they had a slimmer desire to getting scrapped on the battlefield.

"How long?" Starscream asked suddenly. Realizing how vague the question was, he went ahead and explained further, "The repairs...!" The simple fact was that he needed something, conversation or... Okay, pit, just how long had he been in that pit? He wished there was something for him to do, more than just sitting here, forced to fly in another like a common grounder, using a pair of Autobots to fool his processor... Maybe he should play like he was an Autobot him... okay, no, he'd just have to settle for being a weak Decepticon.

"Only a joor or two to fix your chassis, if I don't find further complications after a deep-scan. Weeks to recalibrate," Ratchet supplied vaguely, keeping in mind that Starscream hadn't wanted the jet to see him, so he probably didn't want him to know how badly wounded he really was. The energon had dried by now, most of it. Some had caked over the Seeker's joints, freezing his fingers into a clawlike state. He would have to pry it off carefully if he didn't want to have to replace the delicate circuitry of the flier's hands and digits as well. Rubbing over the wing a hint firmer in reassurance, he felt a change in altitude. They were landing.

Starscream nodded, thinking, as he felt the change in altitude as well. At least his systems were working that well... A couple of joors for his body, he could deal with that... as long as Ratchet stayed close. The Autobot was a medic, of course he'd stay close, so that wasn't a fear... The recalibration, though, that was a problem. That was how long it would likely be before he could truly fly again. Not that flying blind couldn't be amusing at times, but only if the option of sight was still there, and Ratchet probably wouldn't even let him UP as long as he was blind. "Okay," he acknowledged, then stood up as he felt the transport land fully.

The Decepticon didn't even wait until Skyfire had given them the all clear to get up. It was probably a notion only supported by the Seeker's long term memory that let him know when it would be safe to stand up in his larger companion. Eerily enough, it calmed Ratchet, for it told him that there was no immediate damage to the mech's databanks, at least not those he needed for long term recollection.

"Thank you Skyfire," he politely aired the phrase he had come accustomed to in the past orns. Skyfire was a dear friend now, not that any of them had been able to replace Starscream in his processors, but at least he knew that the jet wasn't hurting as much anymore as he had before.

"Careful," Ratchet cautioned the Seeker, supporting him as his sense of direction really wasn't up to par, so he led him down the ramp into the hangar, where Optimus stood waiting for them.

Once again, Starscream allowed Ratchet to guide him, wishing the medic hadn't thanked Skyfire, hadn't made it so slagging obvious who had given him the ride... RIDE! And now he was being led around... Somehow, Starscream didn't think that Ratchet was impatient with him, though, although the Decepticon had nothing on which to base such a conclusion. When the Autobot stopped again after moving... not very far, Starscream couldn't deny his... unease, moving to stand more behind Ratchet. Optimus was around, he HAD to be around, the Seeker could almost feel the optics on him... he didn't want Optimus to see him in this condition, so weak. It wasn't a wise practice to let the leaders of your enemy see you at your weakest.

"I appoint myself Guardian of Starscream under protocol five of the Iacon Treaty," was the first thing that came to Ratchet's processor as said Seeker stopped moving, even going so far as to slightly hide behind him. No question there, Starscream knew precisely where he was and just whose optics were resting on him. Optimus shook his head wearily, if in denial or disapproval Ratchet didn't know, neither did he care.

"I cannot allow that. It would be unwise to have our CMO preoccupied with babysitting an enemy instead of attending to his duties." Optimus had the audacity to contradict him, which caused a motion of slight panic from Jazz, who flailed his arms and head in denial wildly. Prowl managed an irritated scowl, enough to tip their leader off onto the fact that he had just done the rudest thing ever. He really wasn't a born diplomat now was he?

"Should my duties be affected, which right now stand in direct correlation to Starscream, you are free to take whichever measures you see fit," Ratchet replied calmly, internally seething as he sidestepped Ironhide, who quickly dodged out of his way, blocking Optimus from following him into the medical wing.

"Processor glitched remake of a petro-rabbit bitten junk pile," he grumbled darkly, starting at the amused chuckle he earned from his patient and nearly causing the Seeker to trip as he stopped abruptly, turning wide optics onto the Air Commander in surprise. Had that just been a laugh? Had he just amused a Decepticon? And even worse yet... had that been Starscream laughing without malice or contempt?

Starscream was absolutely silent while Ratchet... negotiated with Optimus. Negotiated wasn't the word, it was more a declaration of intent followed by simply not accepting objections. Starscream found that he approved. He shouldn't have been surprised when Ratchet reacted so abruptly to his amusement, but what else was he supposed to do but laugh? He had a feeling the medic was looking at him, that was, after all, the general follow-up to stopping in surprise... Starscream smiled, still clearly amused, "And here I thought all Autoscu... Autobots were in awe of their Prime." Now he knew for a fact that Ratchet wasn't going to leave him... not until he was strong again.

"I wouldn't compare wriggling through his innards on a regular basis because the slagger can't fricken take care of himself with being in awe of someone. I'd call it my duty, and he knows better than to deny me that by now," Ratchet bit back, inexplicably angry about the words, even though the Seeker had amended his intended insult. "Let's get you to medical before the rest of the Ark decides that now is the perfect time for some little injury," he grumbled on, fully at home now that he could see the doors to his med bay again. Not liking to be kept from it any longer, he tugged on the Seeker's elbow joint. Strangely compliant and silent, the Decepticon's Air Commander let himself be led, hopping onto an examination berth once directed to do so. Ratchet sighed in bliss as the doors of the med bay locked via an automated mechanism he had installed himself. Finally... some peace and quiet to himself.

He was behaving because he WANTED to be repaired, wanted very badly to be back to operational specs. He also rather wanted to continue talking, even if Ratchet hadn't appreciated his humor. Hearing Ratchet's sigh, Starscream looked toward him curiously. That was almost the same sound he would make when he was safe and alone in his lab... Well, Ratchet was a medic, it seemed the rumors were true, the medbay really was HIS domain. "I regret forcing myself into your sanctuary," Starscream commented, the words awkward against his glossa. He did mean it, at least half because he didn't want to anger his rescuer, and because he knew how annoying it could be to have someone you didn't like inserting themselves into your domain.

"Had you forced your way, you wouldn't have gotten in," he informed the Seeker calmly and directed his steps to a storage cupboard where he knew he should still have some light grade. Finding what he'd been searching for, he noted that there were only three cubes left. Not enough in case an emergency came up. Ratchet would have to brew new cubes soon, it appeared. Maybe he could set up a new batch of high grade while he was at it as well...

"Please lie down, on your front, Starscream. I'll start with your wings and thrusters, seeing as they're the most delicate work compared to the tactical network in your hands." Fleetingly, his processor entertained how strange he had to sound to the Decepticon. Usually medics dreaded hand work, because it was as delicate as work could become when not involving spark matter. The wires filling a mechs digits with function and sensors were small and easily the most vulnerable wires a mech possessed in a limb, yet he had always enjoyed working on them, entranced by their intricacy.

Starscream actually smiled a little at Ratchet's reassurance, listening to the foot-steps and trying not to listen to the echoes. Of course they were inside, that was the only place a medbay could really be, and the Autobot's medbay... Slag, the Ark was at least half underground, wasn't it? No, he wasn't trapped here... Ratchet wouldn't... his savior wouldn't do that to him. He wasn't trapped... he wasn't alone. No, he wasn't alone...

Cocking his head, the Seeker considered Ratchet's words for a moment, finally nodding and complying. He didn't really like exposing his back to an enemy, too many vital networks there, but he didn't fully have a choice. And Ratchet HAD appointed himself his guardian... Trust was not something common among Decepticons, and Starscream especially was bad at it, but still, he had to trust Ratchet.

After he had gathered the tools and parts he thought he might need, Ratchet was pleased to find that Starscream had indeed done as he'd asked, lying down on the repair berth, his wings spread over the edges, feet and thrusters dangling lazily off the berth. If he hadn't known differently, Ratchet would have described the position as relaxed, yet as a medic Ratchet did know different and saw the posture for what it was. Unease, fear and a need for reassurance, mixed into a barely there hint of trust. Slowly approaching the still form he noticed that the wing tips were trembling lightly as if it was taking a lot out of Starscream not to bolt and run.

"I will numb your sensory array for the necessary repairs. Most flier models have more sensory access panels hidden beneath their wings. I'm guessing that your make-up fits that generalization?" He asked for clarification, reluctant to startle the Seeker with the procedure. If he knew what he was doing, surely he would dismiss bolting for the door any time soon out of his calculation processor... or at least Ratchet hoped so.

As long as Ratchet kept talking, he would be okay. Starscream thought so, at least... "Y... yes. Aside from a lighter alloy in parts of my chassis, I'm a standard Seeker model..." And then, because the only way for Ratchet to know this was to tell him, and if he didn't know, he wouldn't be expecting it, and that would just be bad... "Numbing might fool me into forgetting I'm... still whole. So... talk to me?" Unmaker TAKE him, he was so needy...

"Of course," he instantly conceded and lightly put his hands onto the Seeker's left wing, lifting it high enough to wriggle a hand underneath and access a sensory panel, shutting off the input of the mech's right leg. "I'm going to start on your thrusters then, so that you may relax your processor somewhat before I advance onto your wings," Ratchet went on, partially because Starscream had asked for conversation, partially to make him aware of the fact that he didn't want to cause him pain or unease. He was a medic, after all, and he did not seek for his patients to fear the med bay... if they weren't the twins, only those two really had to fear him here.

Mmm... the medic's hand really DID feel nice against his wing... even if it WAS followed by the complete loss of sensation in his leg. Starscream whimpered again and forced himself to listen to Ratchet. The medic was very thorough, letting the Seeker know exactly what he was doing at any given moment. The Seeker tried to hold up his end of the conversation... it didn't go so well, he'd never been very good at mech systems. He was actually better at biological systems, though THAT was a piece of info he didn't want getting about.

"It doesn't look good, to be honest. I'm afraid I'll have to hollow out your thrusters entirely, rebuild the platings and reweld the sensor and data connections. You really did a number on yourself, just melting down the rocks without thinking about where the boiling rock would go to." Ratchet shook his cranial unit in disapproval. Starscream really had acted like a moron in the cave, but on the other hand, he really couldn't blame him, he must have been irrational from fear and claustrophobia alike by then.

"Hey, at least I had the idea to melt the damn things. That was good at the time..." He wasn't at all surprised that Ratchet would have to repair so extensively... it had hurt when the damage was done, and, like a moron, Starscream had ignored it, kept going until his thrusters simply wouldn't fire any more... and then, if he remembered correctly, he'd tried kicking the hot stone. Okay, wow, he'd been... very much not thinking.

"Yes, it does show that at least some part of your logic circuitry was still functional. Then again, that part wasn't exactly extensive, nor strong enough to actually dissuade you from the idea. You see what it got you after all... damage, and that in itself is a bad thing," Ratchet reminded the Seeker, even though he had to admit that the decision to try and melt the obstacle away had been an unexpectedly sane one, had Starscream actually bothered to take note and care of where the molten stone had flown to. Scratching the by now cool rock out of the vent was a tedious affair and he was only halfway down by now. Once the rock was out he would have to singe off the molten vent plates, not a fun activity, but necessary so that he could get the rest of the rock out and actually reach the sensor and data port connections at the base of the thrusters.

By shifting a little, he could look under his wing just enough to see Ratchet's hands on his thruster... It was actually... what, relaxing? Nice... reassuring. Yes, reassuring. Someone was here, he could see... "It was strong enough to keep me from body-slamming the rocks. Really, Ratchet, think about how functional it is in the best of times... I... Regularly trying to backstab Megatron doesn't show very extensive logical function, does it?"

"It might not show logic, but it does show courage of spark. Essentially you know that he's wrong, you're just going about showing him that in a very suicidal way." He smirked at the Seeker that slowly appeared to be regaining enough coherency so that his processor could actually be called mostly functional once more. It took him a good three breems to get almost all of the rock down to the venting system out of one thruster... now onto the next one.

"I'll be disabling the sensor nodes in your other leg now," Ratchet warned Starscream and carefully settled his hands onto the Seeker's sides to brush underneath the wing gently, lifting it and feeling for the hidden panel he needed to open in order to do as he'd said.

Starscream shook slightly as the hand searched about on him, though the reaction wasn't from fear this time. And even though he knew exactly where the desired panel was, the Seeker let the medic search on his own, looking under his other wing to watch the 'progress'. "It's not so bad, having me legs numb... though if that door was unlocked, so... other people could come in, you'd have to sedate me to stop me living up to my name." It was still mostly talk, words exchanged to reassure him that Ratchet was here, that he still wasn't trapped... it was getting easier, a little.

The Seeker was shaking, from sensor backlash or from fright he couldn't determine. But then he voiced part of his concern and Ratchet contemplated how indeed this could be different. Usually he was left in peace while working, or as close to peace as one could get when being the medic every injury had to be reported to and repaired by. It was tedious work at times, but as fulfilling as he'd wanted his life to be. Finally he found the panel and gently pulled it open to shut off said sensor input. "Don't be startled now," he cautioned Starscream so that he wouldn't jerk at the abrupt numbness. Yet the jet held himself well and merely shivered. Stroking over Starscream's wing in apology as well as praise, he stepped back around the repair berth to take care of the Seeker's other thruster.

"I can feel your hand," Starscream explained as sensation died. The soft hand against his wings made him shiver again, but he said nothing about it. After all, he had been the one to teach Ratchet to do that in comfort, and it WAS a comfort. And if he was feeling anything but comforted by it... well, the medic didn't really need to know about that, this wasn't the time anyway, he was still so badly injured, so badly... Not as badly as he had been, Ratchet was doing well.

"Which is a good thing. You should still be receiving sensational data from everywhere but your legs." Reaching for the thruster, he began the tedious work of scrapping the dried rock out from inside of it once more. Working in silence was a rare thing for him, not because he liked to talk, but because Wheeljack tended to try and help him with repairs. It wasn't as if Ratchet didn't like the engineer, it was just a fact that Wheeljack's help was seldom limited and only rarely silent. He tended to talk during repairs, explaining to the patients which part was which, why it was important, what kind of function it held... which had bored patients into recharge already.

Ratchet didn't entirely seem to like talking while working, so Starscream tried to accept that, twisting his upper body to look... wait, LOOK? "I can see. Not well, staticky black and white... I... thought it best you know." He wouldn't have realized it was black and white if his vision had been clearer... After all, both Ratchet and himself were very... stark, not much for color on either of them. He liked it that way, less distractions, made what color there was just stand out, highlight so beautifully. Well, Ratchet, of course, his color was even more utilitarian, proclaiming his occupation...

"You what?" he was startled and let go of the almost finished second thruster. Stepping up to the top of the berth, he urged Starscream to kneel, directing him with light movements of his hands. Grasping the Seeker's helmet with both hands, he initiated a medical scan onto his optics. One of his lenses had indeed fixed itself, his repair system was very slow, but at least it was trying now, which showed that his spark wanted to survive and that was a good thing. Probing the area around Starscream's optics with his digit tips for maximum sensitivity and accuracy of the gathered data, Ratchet calculated that the one lens was all the Seeker's repair system would do for his vision.

"Hmmm... I still gotta re-calibrate almost all of it, the data will still be scrambled for a while, so try not to rely on your optics too much, they might just decide to play tricks on you." He warned Starscream of the possibility of a memory being mixed into the actual data stream on his optics, while looking directly into his optics to see for himself if the Seeker would react to it by adjusting the lens or not. It wasn't unusual after taking heavy damage, some medics called it the waking dreamer phenomenon, because the patient was dreaming, reviewing a memory in great detail like they did during recharge to better file the data away, while still being fully conscious, which was confusing for the processor.

He winced just a little at the probing digits, trying not to react, to be strong in at least SOMETHING. Starscream nodded at Ratchet's warning, "I know. I've..." He looked away, tried to, jerking his head in the medic's hands. The Autobot didn't need to know everything. He knew enough, thanks to his weakness, thanks to those slagging twins... Funny he had never noticed how well-formed Ratchet's face was, clean-lined and shockingly expressive.

"You... what did you see?" he queried. It could have been nothing really, but the way the Seeker held himself, how rigid and tense his wings suddenly became indicated that there was something upsetting him. Starscream of course didn't have to tell him, but patient medic confidentiality would ensure that he'd keep any and all information to himself, so who knew, he might just risk it in his current processor state.

"Does it matter?" Starscream answered, half-functioning optics going back to Ratchet's face. "I don't want to think about it... I've learned that only makes it more likely." He didn't want to see it all again, all the death, all he had caused... "I think I did deserve... I had to have, why else would so many, so often...?" He didn't want to think about it, didn't want to talk about it, make himself even weaker. "Why are you letting me be weak? Encouraging it? I need to be strong, not weak."

"I'm trying to show you that there is no wrong in being weak, because admitting to weakness can make you stronger, for you can receive help to work through it. Oh, how to make you understand... If you're injured and don't tell anyone, how do you suppose is your damage going to be fixed? Never, that's how. Are you following my logic there?" Ratchet asked, not entirely certain that the Seeker had understood what he'd wanted him to understand. Reaching out to supportively pass digits along the Air Commander's wings, he felt the appendages quivering underneath his touch, almost bending themselves to press back against him.

Starscream sneered even as he pressed his wings into the touch. "And just who do you think would help me, Ratchet? Answer me that, WHO on the Decepticon side would aid me when I seem weak, who would not simply offline me and be done with it? Who do you suggest I go to when memories wake me, when ill-repaired systems ache? WHO?" Anger laced his voice, a shield for his hurt, for his WANT. Reaching up, Starscream tenderly cupped Ratchet's face, still sneering. "Foolish Autobot... you really have no idea what it's like, never even thought... that I might understand your logic, and still find it faulty."

He was startled by the Seeker's openness and quite taken aback by the sudden caress of hands upon his faceplate. It had been vorns... no, eons since someone had approached him like that. On the other hand, maybe Decepticons initiated intimacy differently, Starscream was still sneering after all. If an Autobot would have done what the Seeker just had, put his hands onto his face for a non-medical reason... then Ratchet was certain that he wouldn't have refused. In fact, his systems were thrumming with growing energy already, even though he tried to fight it, Starscream hadn't offered nor asked for anything of him so far after all, so he'd wait it out, like he'd done back on Cybertron, back in the days when he'd been rumored as 'hard to get' as the humans called it.

"Up until now I would have believed your trine did. Yet apparently I was wrong in regards to that... They were the only ones looking for you, by the way." Ratchet couldn't help but try to make Starscream feel at least a little worthwhile, he was a talented flier after all, and what his hands were doing... digits creeping up to his audio receptors to skim over the plating lightly... an appreciative sigh almost managed to escape his vocalizer, but Ratchet caught it in the last possible line of code.

"They... wouldn't know how..." Belatedly, the Seeker realized that Ratchet's hand was trembling against his wings... He had forgotten, Ratchet wasn't used to the way he... he toyed with people, how had that even started? This time he stroked the face intentionally, dropping the sneer in favor of something closer to a real smile. No, he hadn't really intended, only considered, doing anything with the Autobot medic... but Starscream knew from experience that the burn of pleasure through his systems would likely help him. At least help him for a little while, maybe long enough to get through this...

It had been so unbelievably long that the Decepticon's gentleness wasn't a reason for concern to his processor, but was seen as a long overdue invitation. Ratchet felt his limbs tremble against the Seeker's wings, his digits gripping the plating slightly in order to quench the shaking, but it was too late already. Judging by the look and halfsmile he gave him, Starscream had caught on. What should he do now? If he took this further it could be considered treason, yet if he denied the Air Commander now, who knew how it would affect his mental stability? "And how would you calculate your desired help?" Ratchet couldn't keep himself from asking, his optics dimming just a touch further.

"You know... for Seekers, what you're doing is almost the same as what I'm doing to you. Difference is, you didn't know... and I toy with people too much. But I'm not now." And then he dropped his hand, turning his face away a little while still pressing into Ratchet's hand. "It would help remind me that I'm free. But if you don't want," me, the word wasn't said, "or just can't..." The haughty smirk had a bitter edge this time, "Despite what you may have heard, there are plenty of things I simple do not do. So you can just go back to repairing me if you'd rather."

"I'm sorry, I do admit that I did not realize that," Ratchet admitted, bowing his cranial unit slightly in embarrassment. He would not have expected Starscream to so openly admit to having teased him on purpose, far less to offer turning his teasing into something... well, honest was probably the wrong word for it, but substantial would probably describe it adequately enough.

"I have little to no objections regarding my patients' comfort." He tried to keep his answer as professional as possible, after all, the Seeker hadn't indicated with any word nor move that he wanted anything from him on an emotional basis, and Ratchet would be slagged if he'd offer it without at least some incentive of the Air Commander indicating that it would be received favorably.

It wasn't, exactly, a request... He couldn't have expected such a thing, for an Autobot to ASK for such a thing... but it WAS permission. "If you get some objections, you tell me... and of course you didn't realize, why would you think I'd direct you to..." The words cut off and Starscream cycled his vents and lifted Ratchet's head carefully, deliberately. "I'm snarky. I'm trying to hide I'm weak... don't know why, with you, pretty stupid, no?" He didn't really want to talk about that... didn't want to talk at all, come to think of it. So instead, he moved in to kiss the medic.

Ever so carefully he raised his cranial unit, meeting the contemplative gaze of the Seeker. His logic circuitry had to have been damaged fairly badly seeing as Starscream had admitted weakness in front of him, an Autobot. But it didn't matter now, not with the Seeker's faceplate so close to his own, not with his dermaplates settling onto his own ever so tenderly. Ratchet wouldn't have expected it of him, but apparently Starscream did intend to take care with him and not just provoke a completely mindless interface. It was trust, trust on a deep level and he wasn't certain if he was receiving it because he was a medic or because he was himself. Certainly it would be nicer to be at the receiving end of such trust for himself, but Ratchet was no fan of illusions, he knew that the Decepticon's Air Commander probably would have needed some kind of stress relief sooner or later, it just so happened to be him who would help him achieve it. Opening his dermaplates in response to the questing glossa, Ratchet was startled by the low moan that was accompanied by lithe arms wrapping themselves around his torso.

Ratchet felt... good in his arms, strange, but good. "I think you're the first grounder I've willingly..." Starscream began, muttering against the medic's mouth, and then he shut up, applying himself more fully to the kiss. He could be sweet, he could be gentle... because it was impossible for Ratchet to think any less of him than he already did. Starscream moaned and rubbed white armor, they were two black and white mechs in his black and white world... Aside from a little static, his vision wasn't robbing him of anything, then.

"Willingly what?" It was dangerous to ask, dangerous in the sense that he truly wanted to know yet was afraid of the answer as well. Was he the first grounder Starscream had kissed? Was he the first grounder Starscream had hugged? Or was he... was he the first grounder Starscream could imagine willingly interfacing with? And if so... who had been the other? If he was the first the flier willingly would interface with, then he had clearly interfaced unwillingly before already, and that thought was just disturbing for Ratchet, disturbing and shockingly worrisome. What else had Starscream suffered without their knowledge? What more would he tolerate of Megatron's torture before he fought back... maybe for the last time before he would be annihilated by the mad Decepticon tyrant?

"Willingly... this. Told my weakness, guided in touch... THIS. I'd rather not talk... I'd like this to not get spoiled." He had no clue how to touch Ratchet, where to touch him... There was nothing that stood out on the medic, no wings, no gun barrel... there was the chevron on his helmet, that was always an option, but there had to be SOMEPLACE else... Heh, maybe the Autobot thought that Starscream was only seeking his own pleasure from this. That would explain why he was being... well, flatly, unhelpful.

"Alright." He didn't really understand, but it wasn't necessary right now, after all Starscream appeared to need this, needed to loose himself in something. So he would make certain that he did. Skimming his hands over the top of the Air Commander's wings, he was surprised by the tremors running through the Seeker's chassis. The resulting moan sounded almost painful, but appeared to be a liberation for the Air Commander and so Ratchet continued, spreading his digits over the delicate wings carefully and stroking in smooth circular motions.

Starscream moaned again, almost closer to a whimper this time. He had managed to forget, or possibly had never noticed in his distraught state of mind, that his wings were injured, leaking... though a good part of the energon on them was streaked from where he'd touched them. But Ratchet's touch was light... no, not light, but delicate, as delicate and careful as any other touch he'd given, and Starscream pressed into it. The Seeker's own explorations, however, were coming up flat, and he was finally forced to ask. "How... How do I touch YOU? I don't... you're not easy to figure out!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize...Well, tires are sensitive on a grounder, more sensitive the more they are used for fine tuning or high speeds. Mirage and the twins would be good examples." Ratchet tried to explain, but found himself faced with a glare and a growl from the Seeker as he almost viciously pressed their frames together. The snarled words took a while to be worked through by Ratchet's CPU but then he understood that Starscream hadn't asked for general clarifications, but only those in regards to him specifically. Sighing in defeat, he gave up the valuable information that could cost them dearly should Starscream ever wish to deploy it on the battlefield.

"My windshield is sensitive, due to the flash lights mounted at its sides, with a direct re-rooting to it." It was a special feature he had asked Wheeljack to install before they had left Cybertron, in case he ever needed to operate on a patient in deep space or somewhere else where the was no sufficient light source for his scanners to do their work satisfactory. "My chevron is most sensitive, so I wouldn't advise you to touch it unless you want me on my knees." Fixing the Seeker with a serious look, he took one of his hands into his own, playing their digits against each other. "Hands are a medic's tools for healing, just like your wings are your tools for flight, I guess you can imagine..." Ratchet trailed off, briefly shutting his optics as the Seeker eagerly rubbed over some seams between his digits, causing him to sigh with contentment.

No wonder he hadn't been able to find any of Ratchet's hot spots on his own. He probably would have discovered the windshield eventually, but hands... And the medic made a most... satisfying sound when Starscream followed up on the information. "Like this? And you, do you need any suggestions?" Freeing one hand, he began to feel the windshield, watching Ratchet carefully. He would get to the chevron later, would very much like to go after it. The thought of Ratchet on his knees from pleasure very certainly had its appeal, Starscream thought that he would love to be allowed to do that, but the serious look Ratchet had worn... he was still an enemy, and the Seeker mewled and brought the medic's hand to his face, trapping it between faceplates and his own hand.

He started a little at Starscream's apparent enthusiasm, which he had most certainly not expected. The Seeker was passing his hand over his windshield masterfully and it left Ratchet wondering how he could know how to invoke such strong reactions with such simple appearing touches. Then he thought about the offer, the Decepticon Air Commander had, after all, just offered to list his own weak spots in exchange. "Beyond your wings, faceplates, canopy, cooling fans, probably even your thrusters, the very tip of the nose of your jet-form and most likely your three tires, two hidden in your knee joints, the last just beneath the back of your neck joint, right underneath your most important link-up's? Hmmm... surprise me," the medic decided to answer, smiling as the Seeker indeed gasped as he briefly, fleetingly touched most of the mentioned areas with a teasing swipe of his hands.

"Oh... you are... no fun!" Starscream answered, gladly laying down again. "But I think you missed... the instrumentation in my cockpit itself..." That was the one place that Ratchet HADN'T named... Starscream thought, at least. The dizzying list and soft touches had, again, confused the Seeker. Well, just focus on the immediate things right now... things like getting one of Ratchet's digits into his mouth, and how about he press their glass, different yet so similar, together, instead of just rubbing it.

Crying out softly as the Seeker inadvertently pulled him onto the repair berth with him, pressing his canopy against his windshield and scrapping them against one another, causing such delicious friction and varying pressure. He gasped the Seeker's name as two of his digits were encased by pliable dermaplates, a soft glossa swirling around one of them enticingly slow. Tracing his left hand down over the canopy, starting at the last sensitive part he had pointed out, the small hidden front tire of the Decepticon's alt-mode, he splayed it over the Seeker's upper thigh, ever so slowly sneaking it up over the nose, rubbing the plating seams with firm pressure before he continued onto the canopy itself, lifting it by slipping a digit into a sideseam and triggering the automatic process that would lift the carefully crafted glass structure. Once the intricately constructed cockpit revealed itself, Ratchet reached for the instruments by curling his digit and stroking over the smooth leather of the pilot seat. "You couldn't possibly have meant... this?" Ratchet asked in a purring note, flicking his digit tip against an edge of the equilibrium gouge and then grinding it firmly against the pilot seat.

He was already a mass of need from Ratchet's exploration, so when the medic reached into the cockpit, Starscream could do little more than mewl and arch up. He was always so needy and vulnerable after a grounding, and it was only more obvious after the torturous one he had endured. Luckily for him, Ratchet wasn't the sort to take untoward advantage of his state, offering no pain, no cutting words. "Yes," he hissed around the digits in his mouth. "Yes, there... Ratchet... so safe, oh..." It wasn't fair that the medic was still so sensible and controlled, but then, if Starscream had learned one thing about his life, it was that fairness rarely existed.

Firmly, the Seeker's canopy pressed into his windshield, the hard edges drawing a direct line towards its center, which had Ratchet trembling in reaction to the tingles it spread over the entire expanse of the windshield along that line. "Primus... don't stop..." It was simultaneously much more than he wanted to say, yet it still wasn't enough either. If he could have, he would have asked for the Seeker's touch, but he didn't dare, instead he reverted his attention to the flier's wings. But Starscream didn't appear all too happy about that, protesting loudly, requesting for his cockpit to be touched again, even going so far as to whine in tune with his thrusters in a needy note.

Reluctantly Ratchet debated how to follow the request without letting go of the wing's tip, where he had found most sensitive sensor nodes. He was very reluctant to release them from his grasp again, seeing as the growing heat and vibrations of those nodes easily carried over the plating and into his own joints and sensor nodes within his sensitive hand. An instantaneous decision was made within a split second and Ratchet leaned down, delving into the cockpit with his glossa, a wildly screaming Seeker arching against him at the new contact.

He understood grounders were fascinated by wings, but... slaggit, Ratchet took his hand OUT of his cockpit, and that was just... why would anyone do that, it felt so good...! And then a glossa began to map out his instruments and that... that was just too much, Starscream shrieked, babbling pleas for more, more, don't stop, don't you dare stop! But he couldn't let this assault go with no reprisals. Oh, not at all, and this seemed like a good time... Moving slowly, in case Ratchet decided to object, the Seeker reached for that chevron, careful, treat it gently, he wanted Ratchet to feel good, not to be in pain.

Smiling at the favorable reaction he had gained from Starscream, he stretched his glossa to reach a little deeper into the Seeker, trying to carefully prod the pilot stick, which he presumed to be highly sensitive. Rubbing the wing tip in his left hand firmly, he felt his engine coming to life, directly responding to the vibrations that were traveling through his frame due to the Seeker's thrusters. They weren't even repaired yet, but removing the dried stone had apparently given Starscream the ability to at least online them again, even if they were still no use for taking flight. Cold air rushed over his digits as Starscream shrieked around them. His moans went directly to Ratchet's core and he wondered why he should resist. Just then he found his answer, careful digits tracing his helmet edge only to reach for his chevron, were what made his decision so easy. Shouting in pleasure himself, he almost crushed the wing tip within his grasp as wave upon wave of pure desire flashed through his processor at the delicate and suggestive touches to his chevron. He couldn't help himself anymore, biting at the cockpit edge in a slightly frustrated fashion to show the Seeker where he wanted to reach but couldn't. Simultaneously his right hand had spasmed, probably scratching the entire neck joint onto which it had slid after Ratchet's jerk had dislodged it from the Decepticon's mouth.

Starscream growled a little as pressure on his wing increased. Not to the point of pain, not with how much he was riled up. He had been through worse in the course of interfacing, willingly even, what was a good interface if it didn't leave scuff marks. The nip took him by surprise, was he understanding correctly... He trusted Ratchet, trusted him more than he should, perhaps, and it would feel good... so why not? That didn't mean that Starscream wasn't trembling as chestplates moved, trembling and screeching and ironically trying to keep Ratchet so lost in pleasure that the medic didn't notice how very vulnerable Starscream really was.

Moaning at the intensity of the desire Starscream evoked within him through the massaging touches to his chevron, Ratchet finally felt the Seeker's canopy moving, sliding to the side to expose vulnerable wiring and important systems. If he made just one wrong move, he would hurt the Decepticon, which he did not intend to do. Opening his own chestplates to mirror the show of trust, he found himself almost unable to move, the way in which Starscream was so openly moving against him, almost begging for their sparks to merge already... some of this franticness disturbed him somehow.

"Are you alright...? Should I stop...?" Ratchet asked in a voice tinged with equal concern and desire. He wanted, oh how he wanted to, but he would not scare his patient, shaking him up any further mentally at this point wouldn't do him any good.

Oh no, no WAY was he going to let Ratchet stop, not when they'd gotten this far. And Ratchet himself, his own glass had parted, and he was just as vulnerable as the Seeker was now. "Don't stop. Don't STOP, Ratchet. I want... want you, need..." Starscream needed this, needed to have pleasure dominate his systems, even just for a little while. And needed, wanted, the sense of safety he was sure merging with Ratchet would gain him. Fingers still delicately stimulating that chevron, Starscream used his other hand to reach into the Autobot medic, trying to override Ratchet's worry, as novel as the Seeker found his concern to be.

Digits inside of him, lightly scratching at the sides of his spark casing as well as some of his internal systems... they were electrifying and Ratchet gasped. He was too startled to do much more though, so he let himself be tugged closer until his spark hovered over Starscream's. All he would need to do would be to slowly sink down and they would merge, sharing their entire beings with each other. Ratchet had never done this just out of a flux, like he was doing now, usually deeper feelings had to be involved for him, yet on the other hand he couldn't deny the Seeker's obvious need for reassurance, so he would deal, even if Starscream never even looked at him again after this. "Alright... if you're certain," he acquiesced, and ever so slowly bent down over the Seeker's spark, drawing the moment out just a little more by running his glossa over the chestplate edges and up the delicate neck joint.

"Yes, yes, certain, yes, yes please, Ratch', yes, please...!" Pleading was nothing new to Starscream, though rarely done in search of pleasure. His head rolled back, it was hard to be afraid about exposing his neck when Ratchet was hovering over his spark. The Seeker pulled at Ratchet, wanting him nearer, as good as it felt now he wanted more... He didn't give Ratchet the same courtesies the Autobot had shown to him, took no care to ensure this was what HE wanted... Ratchet wasn't protesting, so he didn't mind, how could he mind, he would feel good against Starscream, and the Seeker knew that he would feel just as good to the medic. Ratchet would enjoy it, so why should he mind?

Trembling lightly he sank down onto the Seeker's chassis, covering his frame with his own and moaning against his neck at the pure bliss that assaulted his processor as their sparks twined themselves together. Primus, how long had it been...? Too long, far too long since he'd felt the heat of another's spark spreading through his own. Just why did the Seeker have to be an enemy again? The thought fled his mind and he felt more from Starscream's side of the merge than realized on his own that his digits were curled around the Seeker's wing tips on both sides, sliding down over the sensitized plating to lightly scratch over heated hip plating. On the other hand he felt the fire of the Air Commander's hands sliding over his own frame, down from his shoulder joints towards his lower back, leaving burning trails of sensor nodes in their wake.

Autobots were different from Decepticons. This was a well known fact, after all, if they were the same, they wouldn't be at war. Starscream was surprised, though, that the difference carried through to their sparks... or was that the fundamental difference which caused all the others? No matter, not now... Ratchet was so CARING...! And it couldn't simply be that he was a medic... Starscream had merged with Decepticon medics, and they held none of this care. The deep enjoyment, that was familiar, but Ratchet... Ratchet wanted, needed, to know Starscream was enjoying it... The Seeker buried his face in Ratchet's neck, licking at the metal, whimpering and moaning and SO close to screaming.

The position into which Starscream had moved them unknowingly was intimate beyond belief, and he wondered how much of that was intentional. Opting not to think on it for the time being, it would only cloud his processor with doubt after all, he raised his left hand up to the Seeker's neck joint for an additional distraction. Ratchet could loose himself in his work, which he always did with his hands, so if he kept his hands busy, his processor would leave him alone with such confusing questions and doubts. Sliding along the delicate neck joint, he moved his hand to the side, letting it come to rest on the back of Starscream's cranial unit.

Dragging it downwards, tracing weld lines and armor seams ever so carefully, he finally reached just beyond the neck joint and slowly worked the catch open with his digits. Playing over the rarely used front tire with light strokes and firm dips of his digit tips into the tire marks had the Seeker jerking against him, twitching from delightful shocks that were running amok with his systems. It was sensual beyond comprehension to feel another's spark quivering from sensor input alone and it filled Ratchet with a sense of pride and accomplishment, for he very much enjoyed offering this storm of elation to Starscream.

Oh, Ratchet just didn't want him to show any restraint, any control at all, did he? Because, oh, that tire... his own wing-mates never touched it, Starscream wasn't sure if ANYONE had touched it before, and certainly not so tenderly, so carefully. "Ratchet... Ohh, Ratchet...!" The Seeker nearly crushed the Autobot medic to himself, screeching and mewling, and the charge was building... Starscream could usually hold out longer, when he was stable, sensible. As it was, barely working vision whited out in a rush of sensor data, an inferno of pleasure and heat.

The Seeker's overworked systems couldn't take the strain of their merging sparks for too long and they forced them into overload far too soon for Ratchet's liking. He knew he would have enjoyed to bask in the Seeker's closeness for just a little longer, but that was selfish and he knew it the astrosecond he thought it. Holding the trembling Air Commander until his shaking finally died down to only small shivers due to far too overstressed systems, Ratchet slowly let go of Starscream, noting that the mech had finally fallen into recharge. It was best for his systems and the medic knew that he probably wouldn't even remember most of their merge's details upon onlining. Diligently, he closed the Air Commander's chestplates manually, ordering the motion of his own with his processor, and couldn't help but trail his digits over the smooth canopy one last time.

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Next part in about a week. Please leave a review, let us know what you think?


	2. Chapter 2

Decided I didn't feel like waiting a full week. Also, this way, I get to put the last part up on my birthday. Yeah, only three chapters... ^^ I hope you all enjoy, though. Transformers still doesn't belong to us!  


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Starscream wasn't entirely sure how long the merge had knocked him out. The wash of energy had taken nearly all of his restored vision, again, but small not-really-sensations let the Seeker know that Ratchet was working again. He felt... calm, so very calm... calmer than he had felt since... since when? Starscream didn't really want to work on remembering, not now... he had the feeling it would shatter his calm, and he was enjoying it FAR too much. "Thank... thank-you..." Oh, that was a horrible thing to say, especially after such a nice interface... Starscream didn't feel like explaining everything which caused him to say that.

Startled, he paused in his work, continuing to dispatch data wires that led to the thrusters so that he could exchange them. What could he reply to that? Not that it had been his pleasure, because that was literally the truth. "You're welcome," was what he settled for instead. Continuing to strip the Seeker of the ability to control his thrusters, Ratchet busied himself with his main task, repairing the hurt mech. He worked slowly and carefully, not intending to let the Air Commander feel any more pain than he had to.

More time passed, during which Starscream realized he was loosing information about his thrusters. Made sense, they were needing to be replaced. "You didn't have to. You only... didn't object." He could provide no real explanation for his... concern, it was unlike him. Maybe... just some sense of fairness, Ratchet was caring for him, and so he needed to care for Ratchet in return. Maybe that was it. Say it was, then the Seeker wouldn't have to spend time and energy wondering about it. Anyway, he didn't want Ratchet angry with him... He knew from experience just how bad life could be when a medic was angry with him, and that was ignoring the fact that Ratchet was his only protector in the enemy's base.

"I..." Slag, but this really wasn't his orn. First the twins acted irrational beyond belief, then he had to drag their enemy's Air Commander out of a cave and into his med bay, receiving one of the most processor blowing mergings he could recall and then Starscream actually thanked him? Not even to mention that it sounded right now that his patient was overthinking things, wondering if he had pushed him into it somehow. But fact was that Ratchet had no regrets, far from it, he would have welcomed it if the Air Commander offered to experience such delight again with him one day. Yet they were in the middle of a war, they were on the opposing sides of that war and the medic knew that the Decepticon wouldn't want to remain in their base once he would get back into his own right mindset.

"There wasn't anything to object to... your touches felt good... you didn't do anything wrong... so why object?" Ratchet asked, more for his own clarification than to actually listen to the Seeker's answer. Primus, he had fragged this up royally this time.

That was unexpected. With a Decepticon, the simple fact of not objecting was usually a sign they DID want it... Starscream wasn't sure how such things went with Autobots. He had thought they cared more about hearing, saying, making clear that something was wanted, instead of simply not objected too. Starscream held his glossa, not elucidating on that point any further. "Don't know... Autobots are confusing." Well, it was good to hear Ratchet had... it seemed he had enjoyed it. And he didn't seem angry... So Starscream didn't have to care about it any more... he didn't... "Depending on how long I'm here, it might... I mean... It really does help."

"What else did you expect us to be? If we were anything but confusing I don't think this war would be dating back as far as it does," he replied without truly thinking about it. Ratchet averted his optics this time, he had not meant to snap at the Seeker like that, it had been quite uncalled for indeed. "I'm sorry, that came out the wrong way. What I meant was that it's only natural for us to be different, have different ideals and general perspectives. Even our perceptions are different from one another, that's mainly why I'll have to recalibrate your sight from scratch instead of simply fixing it with a download. I'll have to adjust the entire data-stream to fit your make-up."

Explaining their differences away like this was far easier than he would have guessed, and it left him feeling slightly melancholic, for it reminded him of the lectures he had gotten at the academy when he had been trained there himself. Lastly, Starscream's last sentence registered within his processor and he cocked his cranial unit at him in surprise. "What helps...?"

The explanation was all well and good, and Starscream thought he would be fascinated in different circumstances... ones that didn't involve him being half-fragged. As it was, he smiled a little and mostly ignored the babble, only rousing to respond to the final question. Seemed Ratchet had understood the not-really-said half-offer. "The... pleasure. The burn and tingle through my systems, even when they're numbed I can feel the energy echoing in them. It lets me know they're still there, not like the yearning emptiness I feel when the charge hits a wing connection... and the wing's not there. And... and your spark is very caring, did you know that?" The Seeker hadn't meant to say the last sentence, he was saying a lot of things he hadn't meant to, and it came out rushed, YOUNG. Yes, it made him sound young...

Surprise momentarily clouded his processor before his data banks caught up with him and he realized that it wasn't truly the Seeker speaking there, but his condition. The long absence of sensor stimulation from the outside he had had to endure during the time he had been locked up in that cave had caused a side effect now that he'd been released from those confines. His processor knew he was on the outside again, that everything was real and not just a dreamed up imagination of his mind while his chassis was still in the cave. Yet his spark didn't, and that made it so hard for him to truly believe in reality once again. If he had been found and cared for by one of the Decepticons, Ratchet was certain that this would not have been an issue. But fact was that Starscream didn't know the day-to-day workings of the Autobot army, neither did he really know their characters, so it did make sense to question a reality that was real but still not recognized by his processor.

"I... thank you. But I'm inclined to believe that it's not truly what you want but a post traumatic manifestation of your loneliness. This is not supposed to sound callous, Starscream, but I am certain that if anyone else within this base was in my position right now... you'd still feel the same. It's not me, it's you. Your processor, due to the traumatic experience of being shut in the dark, worse even, under the ground for such an extended period of time... has made your spark hesitant to trust your processor. Your spark needs reassurance that your processor truly is reporting valuable data, no more ghost imaginations like it did in the cave. Are you getting my point?" Ratchet asked, fixed upon explaining to the Seeker just why he thought the way he did, why he thought he would like to merge with him again. Carefully, he kept his explanation neutral enough so that Starscream wouldn't think that he did not want him, pit, not even Ratchet himself knew if he would like to repeat what they'd just done, but somehow he had to make the Air Commander aware of the fact that his spark and processor were not synchronized with each other anymore.

The familiar sneer fell back into place at Ratchet's words. "I KNOW that, Ratchet. I've BEEN in this situation before. One time is usually enough to clear it, the need, I mean. I understand this was... worse..." the Seeker's arrogant voice faltered, and the last word was almost a whimper. It took a couple moments before Starscream could speak again, "I am taking that into account to the best of my capabilities. That doesn't change that your spark is still caring, not overwhelming or painful, not trying to shre-" The Decepticon cut off, turning his head away, near-blinded optics turned towards the ground. He was trying to reassure the medic, not drag him into affairs that were truly none of the Autobot's concern, no matter his rank or function.

"Frankly, you're trying to tell me that you think that your spark and processor will figure out how to synchronize themselves towards each other on their own after...well, after another merge gave them a little push?" Ratchet asked without faltering, Primus but was he ever glad that Decepticon hadn't noticed his slightly stalling fuel pump. It would have been embarrassing beyond believe if the Seeker managed to let Ratchet view this situation as anything but a hurt patient in need of his assistance. Because otherwise it would make the medic think and he didn't want to even consider any other reasons for the Seeker's behavior. But then Starscream did just that. How was he supposed to react now? He had no idea what went on behind the front lines, not about the other faction at least. They turned up for battle, tore the place apart and vanished back to their headquarters afterwards. From Starscream's words, or rather the words he had not said, Ratchet gathered that they lacked a lot of social skills it appeared.

"Thank you I guess. I've... never received such an assessment about myself, so thank you." It was all the medic dared to offer, not trusting himself to say more and voice what he thought, that maybe, just maybe, even their sparks had been affected by the splitting of factions. On one hand it was ludicrous and arrogant to assume that only the Autobots had discovered the positive turn life could have, yet the Decepticons did appear especially bitter most of the time, which could only be due to lost battles...

"Synch... sure, I guess... I mean, they'd have to be synched for me to get through life, wouldn't they?" Cycling his vents a moment later, Starscream realized how very bitter that has sounded, and, again, WEAK. "It takes a little while, but I can fly again, fight again..." Again belatedly, the Seeker remembered he was talking to one of the mechs he was supposed to be fighting. So he made a deliberate, and likely obvious, attempt at changing the conversation. "By the way, the energy basically shorted my optics again. So when you have to recalibrate... Anyway, thought I should tell you."

The Seeker sounded so... afraid, unsure of himself and his own worth. Ratchet couldn't help himself, his spark had clenched at that sentence and he wouldn't ignore it. "Starscream... it's not like you have to. You have more to offer than your flight skills or an added number in a front line formation." He didn't get any further, seeing as the Seeker ruthlessly interrupted him with a tone that was by far too chipper for his situation. Being essentially blind was, after all, not everyone's favorite past time.

"I have dislodged most of your thruster's data input, so I surmise that I could do just that right now. If you'll lie down on your back I'll take you offline for a breem to reconnect and reconfigure the most important part of your optics and then I can rouse you from recharge for the fine-tuning." It was a purely medical process, but the thought of the Seeker, splayed out on top of the recharge berth, did make his spark tingle already.

Of course he had to. What other options did he have? "Being able to see... would be nice." Turning was a little more difficult with half his foot numb, and required fully sitting up. Ratchet backed up to give him room without prompting, and Starscream lay back down, stealing a moment to stretch slightly. "You can leave me offline longer if you want, or put me back into recharge when you're done with my optics," Starscream offered as Ratchet approached. Yes, it would leave him helpless in his enemy's grasp, and he would still be a little... okay, a lot, unbalanced mentally when he went back to his side, but they were more or less used to that by now.

"That would only unsettle your processor further." He rejected the obviously well meant offer instantly and put the mech offline with a quick jab to a connection between spark and processor at just the right spot. It had taken him almost a vorn to learn how to do that painlessly, but by now he was an expert in his art. Starscream offlined soundlessly, his optics dimming slowly, body relaxing gradually, yet awareness had fled him instantly. It was one of the few painless ways to put a mech offline that would also make certain that the onlining process would be painless as well. Bending over the Air Commander he carefully turned his cranial unit to the side to unlatch most of the helmet so that he could reach into the inner circuitry and check the optical lenses and fragile data wires leading away from them. He noted how much care the Seeker had been crafted with instantly, as well as the sign of eons old abuse that littered his internals. Primus, but it was no wonder his spark refused to synchronize with his processor judging by the damage he could see, the pain reports must have counted so many that the spark had shut itself off at the first opportunity, not inclined to be subjected to more abuse.

Diligently he discarded the burned out wires, replacing most of the connections as well. What kind of monster was violent enough to not only make a mech's systems burn themselves out but also frag the connections? If he ever found out that Megatron had done this to his 2IC he would royally frag him offline... personally! Picking splinters of fiber-wire and fiber-glass out of Starscream's helmet, he checked the optical lenses once more, noting that they were cracked at the connection points. It wasn't an easily detected damage and he wondered for how long Starscream had been using his optical lenses this way.

This would take by far longer than he had guessed at first. He scrapped the mech's internal systems of most connections, cleaning the plating of dust, pieces of slagged up circuitry and plating that had managed to worm it's way there, Primus only knew where it came from and cleared out all connections he could find, whether they were burned through or not. Essentially he was rebuilding the mech's entire cranial unit, but only on the inside and that needed time and materials. After the fifth run he had subjected Ironhide and Wheeljack to they complained and he let his anger out on them. As pissed off as he was about the Decepticon's medical conditions and apparent lack of general care and maintenance and mental instability, Ratchet didn't notice their leader overhearing everything.

His outburst had calmed him down immensely, but the simmering anger was still there, shimmering just beneath the surface, ready to flare up again should he so much as lay optics onto a Decepticon that didn't go by the name of Starscream. Wheeljack was wise enough to send Ironhide onto the shooting range to take care of his own anger before he disappeared into his repair bay, carefully offering Ratchet any assistance he might need before he left. Such a sweet friend he had and he treated him like slag. Apologizing over a tight comm line he earned only his friend's laughter and understanding. Apparently his tirade had wormed it's way through the other's processor and he even cared enough to inquire about the Seeker's status. By now most of the connections had been replaced with new ones, he had installed new optical lenses and only had the work left he had told Starscream he would have to do. It really did take only a breem now to fix what he'd intended to from the start. Primus, but the Seeker would be confused to find he had been offline for two joors longer than Ratchet had predicted... Checking the efficiency of the data input with a medical link up to the connection port, he made a few adjustments already, such as activating the depth perception he knew the Seeker would have missed upon onlining, the brightness of his perception so that light wouldn't blind him anymore after the orns of darkness, and lastly a sharpness that would at least give him the chance to depict outlines clearly if he could not see most details of the shapes, which were still a bit blurry. Retreating his medical connection he reattached most of the Seeker's helmet plating, leaving just a latch open through which he could link up with the Seeker's optics directly to calibrate them, before he rubbed over the back of Starscream's neck joint, stimulating the spark and processor connection once more to rouse him. Slowly the red optics glowed to life and the Decepticon came online, cranial unit still supported by his hold.

If he hadn't felt quite so GOOD upon onlining, Starscream might well have panicked at finding his head held. As it was, he felt good enough to stay mostly calm and try to remember just how he had come to here... oh. Right. Autobots, med bay, Ratchet, optics... "I'm not sure if our time measures have diverged that much, but by Decepticon count that was a couple of joors, not less than a breem." He did need further calibrations, though the low-grade, persistent 'headache' which had been plaguing him for vorns upon vorns seemed to have finally receded. Again, Starscream wasn't completely sure he wanted to think about that. If it had receded after Ratchet had looked at him, it likely meant that it had been caused by damage, and... yeah, he really DIDN'T want to think about that.

"That time discrepancy is due to the fact that you were offline for two joors and one point six breems. I'm sorry but I had to keep you offline for so long to repair all the damage you had in your cranial unit. How many times have you broken your optics already Starscream? I found one piece of an optical lens frighteningly close to your CPU, any further jingling of that piece could have had disastrous effects." He went off like he had been waiting to say that the whole time, yet he really only wanted to make the Decepticon aware of the danger he had been. Primus, he had worried over the mech continuously while he had been offline. Being wrist deep inside of his patients internals to repair damage was regular for Ratchet, but not when the damage counted back more than a vorn! Actually some of the connections had been fried for longer than that...

Ah, so it HAD been caused by damage... and there was the temper Ratchet was always said to have... "Frankly, I lost track after the first few dozen. Megatron seems to enjoy watching me try to find Hook." Starscream shrugged a little, looking around. Things were slightly fuzzy... Still, the Seeker enjoyed the sight and vision, the fuzziness would work itself out. Or, no, Ratchet was going to work it out for him. He wasn't as casual about the optic shard... it was never nice realizing just how close one had been to major consequences, but on the other hand, he fought. He was ALWAYS close to in some way or the other becoming useless and therefore being offlined, by someone.

"Next time I get that reject of a petro-rabbit bitten retardant of a glitch into my hands..." He grumbled angrily, yet left the threat hanging, nothing would come of it if he told the opposing faction's Air Commander just what he intended to do to their patch-mech. Because that was what he was, he may have the ability to build, all Constructicons could do that after all, but he certainly didn't have the patience nor the knowledge to call himself a medic!

"Which one?" Starscream curiously. "I mean, one I've tried to kill on a regular basis. The other keeps us mostly working..." There was just nothing to talk about, not really... And frankly, the Seeker would rather talk about revenge fantasies on ANY of his faction than have to discuss any of Ratchet's faction. He didn't want to know anything more about the ones he HAD to fight, had to... Even if Ratchet said he didn't, even if he'd suggested that Starscream might be allowed to stay, might not have to fight. He had to fight, that was why Megatron suffered his ineptitude, the only other use he had.

"Glitch-head," he griped without much spite behind the word, reaching out a hand to help Starscream up into a sitting position. "Now let's see about calibrating those optics of yours. You should be able to access the settings yourself, regulating brightness and sharpness. If there's any trouble let me know. Don't force anything should you encounter a problem, it could have multiple sources." Ratchet went on in a professional tone, explaining what he expected his patient to do and what he wanted to keep informed of and what Starscream should do if he got stuck.

Starscream found he didn't really mind taking orders from Ratchet. He had kind of noticed that before, but it really came to his attention as he calmly did what the medic told him to do. Perhaps it was because the Autobot actually explained WHY he was giving the orders he did. Understanding did a lot for Starscream's willingness to comply. He poked at his settings, changing things one at a time so it would be easier to track a problem should one arise. The Seeker had noticed how Ratchet had avoided answering his question, but he couldn't feel more that admiration for how smoothly it was done.

Supervising the Seeker's processes of recollecting of his lost sight settings was a lot easier than he had anticipated. Starscream managed to recalibrate most of his everyday sight on his own, yet the shapes he could make out in the med bay were still blurry for abut nine astroseconds before they cleared up into a sharp picture. Not something that would do in battle, when he needed to ascertain if his opponent was drawing a weapon and so becoming a serious threat or if he was just raising his hand to signal his surrender.

"I'll take care of that," Ratchet decided after the Air Commander had relayed the problem as detailed as he could. Deploying a direct link up wire with an appropriate connection from his right wrist, he carefully put it into the Seeker's optical sensor array control port, where it settled and achieved a connection with a small click. Sorting through the connected data, he directed Starscream to look at different things in the med bay, like the repair table next to theirs, or his office at the far end of the spacious room Adjusting the sharpness and algorithm with which the Seeker processed his sight, he got the adjustment time down to three astroseconds successfully.

"Not as well as I'd like, but I guess we'll have to calibrate most of your other optical settings before we can fine tune your optics down to an astrosecond or less." He informed his patient after carefully studying the read outs of his medical scanners which had sorted through the reported optical data immediately and without prompting.

"Good enough for now. I've had a short lag for most of the war, actually, Megatron seems to think it serves his purposes if I'm slowed... Well, it probably does, it has critically slowed me in some of our fights..." Maybe this time he wouldn't be repaired back into battle parameters... maybe then he wouldn't have to go back, no reason to go back if he wouldn't be accepted... No, more likely Ratchet would repair him better than he had been in eons. Well, that wouldn't be so bad, maybe he'd be able to actually beat Megatron... not likely.

He probably shouldn't adjust Starscream's algorithms to fit an astrosecond then, for it would make him into an even more remarkable opponent than before, yet his spark instantly outvoted his processor on that account. Ratchet was a medic, he was there to repair damage and help patients back into top shape and nothing would change that. "It won't do so again," he assured the Seeker.

Red optics searched out Ratchet's face, and Starscream shook his head slowly. "I can't beat him. Even in top shape. And after my first 'failure' I'll be right back in the same situation, and all your work will be..." To say nothing of why Ratchet was helping his enemy into optimal shape. "That... doesn't mean I don't appreciate it, though." Because he did, it was good to feel... to feel like he was SUPPOSED to, even for a little while.

"No wonder he has all of you under his control, no soldier would ever dare speak up against him if that's the way he treats his officers. I despise such incompetence," Ratchet snarled, glaring at the far wall. What good of a warlord was Megatron if he didn't let his troops fight in top condition out of fear that one of his soldiers could one day overthrow him! It made no sense at all. Not if he really wanted to win this war. What would be left on Cybertron after they won anyway? Would he just assume command and reduce everyone to such a half-life? Because it was nothing but only the half of a real life if one wasn't functioning within optimal parameters.

"Incompetence... He has what he wants. How can that be called incompetence?" With a slight shrug of dismissal, Starscream turned his head away, at least as much as he could without detaching anything. "Could you focus on getting me flight capable? I... I won't LEAVE until you release me, but it's going to take a long time either way, and even if I'm up for less than a breem, it will help quite a lot." Ratchet finally seemed to have caught on, when Starscream said something would help, it was from experience, quite a lot of it.

"Oh, but it is. It is incompetence if he lacks the assurance that his orders will be obeyed. He only gets that assurance by partially incapacitating his soldiers, which shows a lack of self confidence and that leads to incompetent decisions." Ratchet explained what he had meant, yet as Starscream merely turned his cranial unit away, obviously ignoring him, he decided to drop the subject. It wouldn't do any good it appeared.

"I'll see what I can do in regards to long range so that you'll at least be able to rise to a low altitude while retaining your sight fully." He fell back into professionalism easily as the Seeker requested his flight. Carefully shifting through the parameters, he sorted the data ways so that the input would be processed and displayed in an ordered fashion. It would cause a flight statistic to pop up in the mech's field of vision once he rose above ten feet from the ground, so that he could control the settings of his flight visually as well as readjust on instinctual programmed subroutines.

Ha, assurance his orders would be obeyed... Even with most... all, of Megatron's soldiers partially incapacitated, Megatron still couldn't be sure his orders would be... Things Starscream had known for most of his life shifted a little, the picture changing under the light Ratchet shed on the situation. "Who among us would you even accept, welcome?" It wasn't an idle question, thought Starscream took no pains to be certain he was heard.

It was an interesting experience, allowing another to freely shift parameters and sort his data. Actually allowing it, not simply endure it or, like a few cases, actively fighting it. "You have no flight... so how can you understand what you're doing?" Starscream asked suddenly, the remains of his scientific curiosity.

"Accept? Accept as what? As leader? I doubt I could picture any of you in command... yet Soundwave appears the most stable processor, he would probably be more considerate about your functionality than Megatron would ever even consider," Ratchet offered. He really had no idea how the Seeker could ask such a question, but then again, his processor was still in disarray from the orns spent in captivity. Yet having his medical competence questioned wasn't something the CMO would tolerate, from no one! "I suppose it escaped your notice, but who do you think actually programmed the Aerialbots? A mech is more than a chassis constructed after some schematics that vaguely resemble a plane, as you should know. Readjusting a learning flier's parameters is an almost daily occurrence, to use a human term. Yet I've found it to be quite accurate regarding that specific task. Of course your mass is different from theirs, so you have different variables and other parameters regarding your take of, flight pattern and so on, but flying itself follows the same rules. After all, wind is still wind no matter if you fly through it as a shuttle or with a jet-pack," he groused.

It was unnerving to have his ability and knowledge questioned and quite frankly doubted so abusively. He felt attacked by the Air Commander's question in a way he couldn't explain to his own processor. Ratchet shouldn't be hurt by his arrogance and ignorance, he should have been used to it by now, yet the implied suggestion that he wasn't taking proper care of the latest sparklings he had helped to online filled him with a burning rage he could barely contain.

Starscream flinched as Ratchet began scolding him. "I... I didn't mean that! I... I wasn't doubting, I was just curious, just wondering! I didn't... Please don't be angry." His vents cycled high for a moment before the Seeker could wrestle his body back under control. Ratchet wasn't going to hurt him, he wasn't LIKE the others... "S... Soundwave is busy with his... I didn't mean in command. I meant as... I mean... Ugh, I'm making no sense... And you'd better stop those T... from doing any more of that jet judo stuff, at least for a long while..." No, he really wasn't making any sense. The brief brush of fear had reduced him, again, to something only questionably sane.

Sighing deeply, Ratchet tried to clear his processor of the negative perspective he had had on things. He did not want to be more pessimistic than he had to after all. Noting the flinch, he felt bad for snapping at the Air Commander already, but he had felt provoked and criticized in a manner he wasn't accustomed to and anger was his predominant reaction to any unknown, for most of the time an unknown meant trouble and for a medic trouble meant danger to his patients.

"It's alright... I'm sorry I got carried away. I am not angry, at least not at you," he clarified in the end, wanting to reassure the Seeker that he meant him no harm. "Busy with his... what? And as... what? You're right, some of your sentences truly are lacking a vital point. And I'm not certain if it wouldn't just be worse if I forbade the twins anything. In the end they'd just increase their activities just to spite me." Ratchet grumbled lightly at the end, intending to try and steer the Seeker clear from them.

"Oh. Then they're just evil," Starscream stated, biting off the whimper. Right, he just... shouldn't really think about them right now, then. "His... his cassettes, his family... And if you use that information to hurt them or him, he will first kill YOU and then kill ME... so don't?" The stern warning turned into a whimpered plea. An angry Soundwave was not something the Air Commander wanted to consider. "And as... as... r... refuge... refugees..." And there his vents went higher again, ready to cool him during the heat of a fight.

"Most certainly annoying, but I wouldn't per sé dub them as evil. I like to associate them with unruly younglings, it just fits the pattern of their regular behavior best. But you are right... they would appear cruel to an enemy on the battlefield..." Musing over the twins really wasn't helping his processor any. Instead of dispelling the anger he still felt inside, it solidified it.

"Hurt the- How dare you?! I'm a medic! I don't hurt others out of petty issues such as personal revenge. If you think that you can just get lost!" Ratchet snarled with ill temper and was about to cut off the data link up just as the Seeker trembled, mumbling the last answer to his questions. He went stock still at the word refugees. All anger was swiped from his processor, his spark almost missed a pulse he was so surprised. A twinge of pain shot through his systems at the irregular frequency of his sparks energy output and he groaned lightly in reaction, bowing his cranial unit and shuttering his optics, both things he had found to help most efficiently in such situations. But truly thinking about it, really considering it in detail, he came to only one conclusion.

"We're Autobots. We'd accept any and all refugees seeking us out. As for welcoming them... it would certainly take time and a lot of compromises on both sides, but I'm certain that with time and a little consideration and care about the way we interact with each other... trust could be built and upon that trust as a secure base liking might be a possibility, which would lead to welcome. Personally... I'd welcome any and every spark tired of war." Ratchet admitted with a far off look in his optics. Primus but it was such a wonderful thought... imagining an end of all this fighting.

Once again he was trying to hide, trying to avoid the results of the temper he had roused. It wasn't HIS fault he kept thinking of Ratchet as a fellow Decepticon... it was actually rather a compliment to the medic, coming from Starscream's admittedly twisted world-view. He was so busy trying to avoid the anger that he missed the first part of Ratchet's answer, tuning in somewhere around 'compromise' and 'trust'. "I see," Starscream said, a neutral and flat answer, belying the sharp hope he felt. Falling back to silence, he watched as Ratchet resumed his work.

Gradually he worked through the Seeker's perceptions, as far as he could on their first session. He would have to readjust each and every setting for every 'sight' variable the Seeker had. Infra red, night vision, it would all need to be recalibrated one by one. Once he finished with Starscream's day to day perception, he cut the optical data link up and carefully retreated the cable out of the Decepticon Air Commander's cranial unit. "That's all I can do right now. We'll have to continue in a joor or two to let your systems rest. The changes need to settle before I can do anything else," Ratchet told the Seeker.

"Before you can do... anymore repairs then, you mean...? Or... before you can do... anything...?" His hand trembled as he again lifted it to the medic's face, an offer... Starscream actually wanted it this time, well, he had wanted it before, but this time it was just want, not thoughts of how it would help. That caring spark... Another thought made him glance away and drop his hand, "Or... You probably need to rest yourself, refuel... You've been devot... working on me for a long time now... I don't mean to make you... Keep you from your friends and relaxation. I'll... probably be able to go to recharge if you want to go for a joor... or more." A light waver in Starscream's voice gave lie to his estimation of recharge, and he hoped Ratchet hadn't heard it.

Starscream actually reached up his hand to caress his sensitive faceplates once more. Ratchet went stock still for an astrosecond, barely believing that the Seeker would want to. It wasn't exactly the response he would have expected. He had put the merge down to need, a vicious need of the Seeker to know that this was real, that he wasn't just imagining things, that his processor wasn't torturing his spark with a vision of somewhere, anywhere outside of that cave. Ratchet didn't know what to take the Seeker for, one second he was offering him another merge, the next he was suggesting that he had better things to do, that he had to refuel, spend some time with his friends, relax... it was almost as if the Air Commander didn't consider himself worthy of being cared for.

"What are you talking about, Starscream?" he asked in, for him, an unusually calm and gentle vocalization. Few mechs heard him speak like this, not out of choice, but out of necessity. "It's not as if the troop's moral will drop any deeper if I'm not there for one day. I seldom join them in the rec room anyway. They know not to expect me there by now. Yet if it is recharge that you want, I will not disagree with you, for your systems really would benefit from a sound recharge. But if I consider that you have just spent three joors in recharge before the recalibration... I'd say you will find yourself unable to sink into recharge all that easily." Ratchet wasn't certain himself if his offer carried through. It wasn't right to offer a merge concealed as a medical treatment or kindness such as helping the Seeker to relax, or rather, exhaust him enough so that he might find recharge, but it would be a quite nice way to exhaust Starscream, or so he admitted to his own processor.

"Want... want recharge... No, not really. Just don't want to keep you from your friends. But I need to be in recharge to... stand being alone..." It was nice of Ratchet to put things onto a professional level... kind of surprising that the medic was able to stay professional while discussing such things. Starscream did wish that the Autobot would... acknowledge he was worth the pleasure the Seeker would cause in him, though. And as much as the cloak of professionalism helped... Starscream wished he knew if Ratchet WANTED him... or if he was just putting up with it for the sake of... of what? His medical reputation?

"My friends know where to find me and if they don't want to drag their lazy afts down here they can just comm me," Ratchet assured the Air Commander. It puzzled him why the Seeker wouldn't want to be alone, but then it hit him. Of course he wouldn't want to be alone in an enemy's base. He was surrounded by mechs he only knew as violent towards his person, no wonder he wouldn't want to cause them any problems. "It's alright Starscream. You don't have to go into recharge if you don't want to. It's not as if anyone can just come in here and start harassing you, that is my privilege as the CMO," he smirked at the end, trying to show the flier that it was really alright, that they wouldn't hurt him in any way, shape or form.

Oh, well, good... he wasn't exactly keeping his savior from his friends, then. And... wow. For being the one who rescued him, Ratchet still didn't really understand things, did he. "Leave me online, alone, and trapped, and I don't know how much of your work will be undone, Ratchet. Even the Twins would be better than that." THAT should be something the medic understood. "Though the prospect is not one I relish..." Starscream cocked his head, another thought occurring to him... "I would not mind... if your friends wanted to visit. Don't... you don't have to decline them for my... Well, but you know that, I'm sure."

"We might be Autobots, but we're still not clingy," Ratchet snorted. But he thought he understood at least a little now. It was the situation the Seeker was afraid of, the feeling of being trapped had to be messing with his processor pretty badly indeed. All he could hope of doing would be to reassure the Seeker somehow... but how? "You're not alone by the way, I'm still here." Primus, that had sounded so watery he was sure one of his platings was going to rust from it.

"Well, I'm not alone NOW," Starscream snarked softly, finding himself reaching for Ratchet again. He wasn't Autobot, but apparently he was clingy, at least now... "Did you need energon then? I will be well enough for a short while, if you need to get some." Ratchet had to have better things to do than indulge one frightened enemy Seeker's desires... He didn't say anything about it, but that was what Starscream would expect of Autobots, well, most of them... And he didn't really want Ratchet to leave him, but on the other hand he couldn't have the medic neglecting himself... oh. "I probably need energon myself..."

The Seeker did stress the difference, which was time and almost hesitantly reached for his faceplates. Starscream was offering and asking at the same time, his optics slightly unfocused on purpose, probably transfixed onto his shoulder joint out of sheer embarrassment. After all, the Decepticon's proud Air Commander couldn't be known as a mech who needed anything, would ever ask for anything. Consciously, Ratchet made his decision, and purposefully let his head dip forward, willingly holding the surprised gaze that met his steadily, challenging the Seeker. A quick scan told him that both his patient and his own systems required some energon, but that could be helped in one go.

"Follow me then," Ratchet told the Seeker, whose digits had begun rubbing along the edge of his faceplates, creeping up to his audio receptors already. Stepping back from repair berth and patient at once, he made sure not to walk so fast that the Seeker didn't know where he was, but fast enough to reach his office before him so that he could grab a few cubes from his private stack without the flier knowing of its whereabouts, before he led him on into the adjoining rooms.

He hadn't even noticed that feeling had been restored in his lower body when he woke... just what did that say about him? Standing, Starscream took a moment to adjust before obeying the Autobot. The stopover in Ratchet's office was so fast that the medic was already on his way out before the Seeker reached the door, which lead to a slight moment of awkwardness, the two mechs having to shift a little to let Ratchet lead again. Walking into a new room was... nice... Walking anywhere was nice, it let him move, another layer of reassurance, he was safe, he at least wasn't grounded. And... was he going to feel Ratchet's care again?

Stepping into his quarters he felt more at ease with himself and his own decision. He knew that the Seeker needed this, needed the assurance it gave him. On one hand it would ultimately prove to Starscream's spark that his processor wasn't just playing tricks on him, that this wasn't just an imagination or calculation, but reality, and on the other hand... well, the Seeker wasn't unattractive himself, he actually was a quite handsome mech if one had the optics to look for it. Leaving the lights dimmed so as not to startle the flier too badly, for his quarters bore quite the difference to the med bay, what with the mostly red and black furniture, Ratchet turned, waiting for the Air Commander to catch up with him.

Never had he let a patient into his quarters, he realized as the Seeker almost hesitantly made his way over to him, gaining speed with every step he took until he almost crushed into him, clinging to his chassis with both arms, digits bent almost clawlike to hold on to his plates as if he was afraid he'd leave him at the last moment, mumbling incoherently.

"It's alright...I promise." It wasn't much of a reassurance, but it appeared to be all Starscream had needed for his digits unfurled, turning his hands into sliding surfaces that began caressing his frame hesitantly. They weren't in any particular hurry, so Ratchet decided to return the favor by slowly sliding his hands up the Seeker's arms to his shoulder joints, tracing the supportive wiring from there towards his cranial unit and map out his face with just the tip of his digits, all the while never leaving his optics with his own.

He hadn't meant to do that, hadn't meant to show his fear yet again. But going from a bright room into a darker... it had shaken him a little. But Ratchet was patient, that helped... Starscream didn't bother to look around, what was around them was unimportant. What mattered was Ratchet, softly stroking and exploring him... The medic was likely to know his body inside and out before the Decepticon left, Starscream realized. He wasn't going to know Ratchet's that well... he wasn't the one working on systems almost any time they weren't... interfacing. Oh dear, this was likely to make him quiet the reputation in Autobot ranks... something else Starscream decided was unimportant. This was only his second time really touching this frame, and he wanted to enjoy it, to remember it...

Gradually he leaned his frame closer towards the Seeker, who was now taller than him. It was a little unnerving if Ratchet was honest with himself. Sitting it hadn't been a problem, Ratchet was marginally taller than Starscream, at least when he was standing while the flier was sitting down. Now though they were both standing and all Ratchet could do without stressing his joints was touching. He paid it only little mind though as the Air Commander's digits slid over his sides and onto his back. Almost arching at the touch due to the fact that those sensors definitely weren't stimulated regularly, he turned surprised optics onto Starscream's as the Seeker became bolder, almost slamming his cockpit against Ratchet's chestplates and dragging his frame upwards with a hand on the back of his neck joint simply to lick over his faceplate edges.

Ratchet was shorter... And he was hungry, wanted that frame against him, the medic's derma... Starscream pulled Ratchet up, moaning, the hand that wasn't holding the Autobot up wandering down and tracing that well-formed aft. Suddenly realizing what he was doing, the Seeker managed to set Ratchet back to the ground before removing his hands and stepping back. "I was rough. I... I'm sorry. I..." Starscream looked away from Ratchet, shaking slightly, he didn't want to stop... So he knelt, watching the medic... there, now he seemed smaller than the medic, now maybe it would be okay....

A hand on his aft was both startling and deeply satisfying. Yet it was taken back far too soon as Starscream lowered him back down and even went so far as to step back from him and apologizing. Why the pit was he apologizing anyway? It made no sense to Ratchet's processor, seeing as he had enjoyed the Seeker's touch quite a lot. Then the Air Commander even knelt down before him and his spark gave a lurch. "No! It's alright, you didn't do anything wrong! Actually... I quite enjoyed it," he admitted honestly, reaching for Starscream's cranial unit to caress over his facial plating once more. The Seeker moaned at the touch, arching against him and reaching for his hips to stabilize himself.

It was a bit awkward to have the Air Commander on his knees before him, sure it gave him an advantage in height seeing as Starscream's cranial unit only came up to about the middle of his front window, but that was the main problem as well, for they still couldn't kiss each other that way. Maybe he should suggest for them to move this to the berth...yet he was nervous about suggesting too much to the Seeker. After all, they were still enemies and any move could be taken wrong. If he invited Starscream to his berth, the Decepticon might become suspicious of him and refuse any further treatment... but what if that happened because he didn't invite him to his berth? Confusion was a nasty feeling his CPU decided and he wholesparkedly agreed with it.

He had grown accustom to letting grounders take the lead... "I shouldn't have done... I should have at least warned you!" Okay, if they kept on like this, the growing mood would be completely shattered, and he didn't want that... especially not when he was slowly encircling Ratchet in his arms, resting his face against the glass... "Ah... we seemed... to get along better when I was... sitting..." He was hesitant to voice that, as it was as much a request as it was an observation. But then, what other point WAS there to being in the medic's room? "Do you want to see me on your berth...? Sprawled out, hungry and waiting for you?" He'd been in that position before, though rarely from his own choice... hopefully Ratchet wouldn't think he was being too forward, wouldn't be angry!

His processor started at the proposition and a shiver went through his chassis. Primus, what the Seeker was suggesting was so... carnal... yet it sounded so inviting... so tempting... "...Yes..." Ratchet barely managed to articulate, fisting the flier's neck joint lightly, trailing his hands over his shoulder joints to caress the wings. He wanted him to have a reason to writhe in pleasure after all, no?

Ratchet would feel bad if he crawled... so he would have to loom again, tower over him... but Ratchet hadn't really seemed to mind that. Standing required care, he didn't want to loose those hands any sooner than he had too, after all... Starscream bent down and stole a kiss before backing up, moving towards where he thought the berth was while never looking away from the medic. Feeling the berth against his legs, he simply sat and scooted up, one hand tracing up his canopy and pulling a moan from him. The berth felt nice, and the Seeker slowly relaxed, touching himself enough to build hunger, keep himself writhing, while always keeping his optics on the medic's face. He wanted to SEE Ratchet's desire...

Letting the Seeker go was a hard thing to do, but he managed. He wanted nothing more than to chase after him instantly, but those ruby optics kept him pinned, not allowing any movement. Watching transfixed as the Air Commander caressed his own frame, which drew a moan of apparent desire from him, he tried to remember what the Seeker was doing so that he could repeat it once he could move again. Starscream was leaning back on his berth now, writhing in a way that was almost obscene, but it all added to the picture of need the flier was drawing of himself, displaying his chassis for Ratchet to see and yearn for.

It was apparent that he wanted to entice him, wanted to be... what? Taken? Comforted? Pleased? Ratchet would do all three if he only knew the Seeker truly wanted it. Slowly he took a step forward, carefully placing his feet before one another with barely an inch between the platings, creeping along the way like a predator, yet at the same time he took care to be slow enough to that the Air Commander would be warned of his approach so that he could defy him if he grew scared. He still didn't know how to take the Decepticon. One moment he was stable, the next scared and then he was needy... a strange combination of character cravings that he couldn't figure out the cause of.

His vents stuttered as Ratchet began to move towards him... stalk towards him. Yes, stalk towards him, he could almost hear the low rumbling growl which normally accompanied such actions. But the look of want on the medic's face was clouded with care, concern... Starscream mewled, reaching for the Autobot and crying out as digits passed over his clasps... it was just a sensitive place to fondle, though if Ratchet wanted to watch him open, play... he'd even overload himself if Ratchet wanted, though he'd far rather feel the caring spark. "Do you like what you see? Do you want me...? What do you want me to do, name it..."

Seeing a hand reaching for him, he stepped in closer, not intending the Seeker to start feeling pain instead of pleasure. He was no sadist, he would not enjoy watching another in despair, so the sudden cry startled him slightly, but then he saw just where Starscream's hand had scratched over his own plating, right at the clasps that would open his canopy and allow him to reveal his spark, no wonder he had reacted strongly to such stimulation. The question caught him off balance, but after a little bit of thinking, he replied with the only true answer he knew he could give the Air Commander.

"Be yourself," he simply asked, and saw the surprise in his optics. Ratchet wouldn't ever ask another for something he was not, so if Starscream wanted to overload on his own, simply being watched by his burning gaze... he would let him.

"I don't know how," Starscream admitted, still reaching for the medic, beckoning him closer. He didn't know how to be himself, he wasn't even completely sure what 'himself' was... but he did know he wanted Ratchet to join him. As much as he liked being watched, and oh, did he like it, he wanted Ratchet's hands on him. "I haven't for ages..." His hand reached Ratchet, and the Seeker moaned, feeling the armor with his one hand while continuing to trace his own body with his other. He liked the way Ratchet looked at him, slightly embarrassed but so wanting... It was the hint of something that might almost be called innocence which enticed him so, Starscream knew.

The honest reply was surprising enough, yet the hand that continued to reach for him was even more so and he could not resist. Not that Ratchet would have wanted to, but he wasn't certain if he could have denied the Seeker any request he could've made right then. Letting himself be dragged closer, onto the berth, he was guided on top of the flier's body. A hand was trailed down his chestplates, over his abdomen and over his right thigh while Starscream arched into his own touch. "Just let go then and I'll show you how to..." he promised, beginning to knead over the Air Commander's wing joints, drawing ecstatic cries of desire from him.

Let go... let go. He'd never dared do that, his trine wouldn't be able to stand him doing that, and it wouldn't be SAFE to do that with anyone else. But Ratchet had already seen him at his weakest, his most unguarded... he hadn't offered hurt then, so it had to be safe now. Didn't it? The Seeker found himself entranced by the joints of Ratchet's hips, removing his hands from his own body to explore the Autobot's again. "So different... so very... no weaponry. Armor's thinner..." He might have sounded calm and detached, but his body arched up, begging for contact, touch, pleasure.

"Medics are built light but sturdy so that we can move great distances in short time in order to get to a patient swiftly. Usually a medic has no need for weapons, seeing as we're normally not required to join battles, but, well... it's not as if that ever counted before." Ratchet grimaced at the end. Few knew how much he disliked joining the battle formations against the Decepticons. Always running through his CPU whenever Optimus called out names of the battle's strike force was the prayer that, please Primus, his name shouldn't be amongst them. Most of the time his trouble was for naught anyway, but one could hope no? But he didn't want to think about their war, not now, not right before interfacing. He didn't want their merge to be tainted by his troubled stand in these times, so he used another rhythm in which he could shift the pressure on Starscream's wing joints so that it wasn't symmetrical anymore, causing the Air Commander to gasp while arching against him, obviously approving of the change.

"No Decepticon is so... un-battle... ready." It was getting progressively harder to speak under Ratchet's ministrations... "I... like that you are..." Ratchet's lack of weapons and real armor just helped to ensure Starscream wouldn't forget that this was an Autobot he was with... someone SAFE. At least... safe for now... He arched up, scraped their glass together. Starscream wanted to feel, not to think... and the Autobot seemed of a like mind, changing his caresses and making the Seeker almost dizzy with sensation.

Ratchet had never before received such a complimentary response on this subject, so he was quite surprised Starscream appeared not to have a problem with his lack of weapons. More even, he liked that he had no apparent weapons and that told Ratchet volumes. He didn't take it as an insult, like others could have done, but for the honest truth he heard in the flier's voice. Slowly he felt the Air Commander's digits seeping beneath his plating, exploring the wiring of his hip joint on both sides. It made his legs tremble occasionally when the Seeker caressed just the right wires, but most of all, it forced them closer together, which Starscream used to rub his canopy against his chestplates and front window. "And what else do you like?" Ratchet practically purred, trailing his digits over the mech's wings and leaning his cranial unit down to lick over the uppermost glass panel of the Seeker's cockpit.

"I like that..." Starscream answered, sounding almost timid. He did, the continuous waves of sensation feeling very good and proving that he was out of that cave. The Seeker also rather enjoyed the way Ratchet's legs would tremble when he'd stroke the right thing... it was fun to go through and find out just what got a strong reaction. "I like you being... gentle... I... Ilikethatyoutrustme." He did, it made him feel like he was worth the effort Ratchet was putting into him.

He had no intention to stop any of his movements if the Seeker proved to enjoy them, so the confirmation had him smiling slightly. He had worried greatly if he could make Starscream like anything he did, seeing that their first merge had been more out of need and quite too rushed to be considered anything but by far too quick, Ratchet had felt his processor go blank at the prospect of having to entice the flier. Not that it was something he was good at anyway, quite the contrary, so he had briefly faltered in his decision to do anything his patient might ask of him, if it just helped him... Now though, the medic himself was trembling, his legs trembling or jerking occasionally depending on the talented Seeker's digits playing with his internal wiring.

"I wouldn't know how to be anything but gentle, so I take it's a good thing that you like it. And I dare say... you have earned that trust with your compliance," he told the Air Commander sincerely. Never would he trust a Decepticon of course, but this was Starscream, he was hurt, confused and most of all...not the cruel Decepticon second in command they had known for eons now. At least he wasn't acting like it.

Moaning, Starscream nuzzled the top of Ratchet's head, resisting the urge to coo. "With my compliance... I think that must be a first." The medic's glossa felt... very good against his canopy. So very good... "Let... me feel you inside, Ratchet? Please?" He wanted to feel more... but he wanted things to go slower this time, wanted time to ENJOY this, enjoy the medic, be enjoyed... "Or give me something to suck," the Seeker added in a blatantly suggestive tone.

"You remember what I like, I take it." Ratchet practically gave the Seeker a free ticked to do whatever he wanted. It wasn't as if Starscream would abuse his lenience he knew, so he offered it naturally, completely aware of the fact that he would be thoroughly subjected to the Air Commander's whims within the near future.

Carefully he slipped his digits underneath the canopy's side paneling, stroking along the underside and downwards where he ended at the sensitive Seeker nose. Playing his digits around the delicate sensors located there, he tapped over the plating lightly, moving his digits in a creeping way back up to the clasps that held the canopy in place. "Well...open up then," he reminded the Seeker, how else was he supposed to get inside the Decepticon's chassis if the Air Commander kept himself locked up like this?

Open up... right... Mewling and arching up, Starscream pulled one of his hands from Ratchet's seam, tracing up to his canopy and unlatching it. And then he was stuck slightly, he wanted to suck on Ratchet's fingers... but at the same time, the Seeker noticed that his chevron was very close... Making his decision, Starscream sucked the red metal into his mouth, twining his fingers with Ratchet's and guiding the medic over his instrumentation. One thing more he needed to know... "Sss... safe to scream? I want... to..."

In all his pleasure, he had become lax in his control over himself, but Starscream had to have known what he would be doing to him, otherwise he probably never would have intertwined their digits so that he could prevent his caresses from becoming hurtful. "Scream... all you want... if you need to," Ratchet allowed quickly so that he could get the words out while his vocalizer was still functional. Who was he to deny the flier the simple way in which he sought to release some of his pent up desire?

Good to know... so good to know... but of course he couldn't scream with the chevron in his mouth. Well, he probably COULD, but he didn't know how it would feel, and he didn't want to risk anything, and he was in no way ready to STOP sucking on the sensitive metal. He LIKED how Ratchet's vocalizer hitched, static lacing through his words, he liked how the medic pressed against him. And there was just something decadent in guiding the caresses, focusing to read the small signs Ratchet gave when he wanted to stay on some particular instrument, or when he wanted to move on faster...

He barely noticed which system it was but as his digit tip brushed over it Starscream arched against him so violently, moaning so strongly that it made his chevron vibrate, and so he did it again. The Seeker's frame trembled beneath his as he assaulted the apparent sweet spot he had found. Never had he expected to find such a delicate patch of plating on the Air Commander, but now that he knew about it, he would see to it that the knowledge was used! "Move... your glossa!" Ratchet whined in both sympathy and need as the Decepticon froze his movements, apparently too lost in bliss to care much anymore just what was happening around him.

Starscream whimpered, WHAT had Ratchet found...? He didn't care, it felt GOOD, oh, good. Move his... move... oh. With another whimpering moan, Starscream sucked and licked the not-really-sharp point in his mouth. He felt good... and there was just enough coherency left to want to make Ratchet feel good, make Ratchet glad he had done this, know that it was worth helping him because he could be so grateful, so very... "Ratchet... mm, Ratchet!"

It was probably the worst cliché ever that had come true during the Seeker's construction. Who ever would have guessed that one of STARSCREAM'S sweet spots would be the system connected to the equivalent of a joystick inside his cockpit while transformed? Ratchet surely hadn't guessed it, but in retrospect it made more sense than necessary. The joystick was a delicate instrument in most aircraft, seeing as it adjusted the entire frame of the flier to its guidance, it was small and hard to reach, and most of all it was total control one had over the Seeker if one knew how to manipulate it correctly. Yes, Ratchet was quite satisfied with his discovery.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked gently as he managed to pinch the stick with his thumb and forefinger, rubbing his digits up and down as much as he could in the tightly enclosed space of Starscream's cockpit, twirling them around the tip as the opportunity to do so arose. Hearing his name tumbling from the Air Commander's shoutbox in a staccato that was accompanied by wave after wave of spark flares, he knew that he was driving him insane with lust, which was exactly what he intended with his actions. The glossa licking his chevron moved erratically, sometimes firm, sometimes light, sometimes fast, then slow again, Starscream was unpredictable and the medic enjoyed it immensely, after all his chevron was one of his sweet spots as well, not the most sensitive, but definitely not ignorant to such touches either.

"Enjoy... enjoy, enjoying... Mm, ye... yes. Not fair..." Starscream would like to make Ratchet feel this way, devoured by want... The only reason the Air Commander wasn't throwing the medic down and taking him was because it felt so good to let Ratchet continue. But next time... oh, next time he was NOT letting Ratchet off, next time HE would be the one on top of a moaning and incoherent Ratchet, next time... There might not be a next time. Starscream whimpered and screamed, he wasn't going to think about that, he was very good at not thinking about unhappy things he couldn't change, after all. As far as he was concerned, there would be a next time, and he would have Ratchet screaming under him, and it was all as simple as that.

"What's not fair?" he asked, looking up at the Seeker startled by the accusation. Retreating slightly he took his hands off of the Seeker, sitting up, straddling his hips to give him the room he appeared to need. What had he done wrong that the Air Commander felt the need to mention that he felt somehow mistreated by him? Wasn't... Hadn't his chassis been quivering from desire... but fear instead?

Starscream keened and looked at Ratchet in confusion, feeling a flash of anger. "Why did you STOP? Ratchet...!" He reached out, wanted to pull the medic back down, get him to FINISH... He had been asked a question. A question... "YOU'RE not! You... you can control me... make me scream and need, loose all... care, all propriety, but you... you DON'T! You, you stay... stay controlled... Am I even affecting you? Do you want me, or are you just... HUMORING me... And why are you asking me now, slaggit, what do you WANT from me?"

Immediately Starscream barked at him with apparent confusion and anger, reaching up to tug him back down and demand answers of him. Confused, he reacted with anger himself out of habit. "What do you mean? What should I want from you? It wasn't me who started this, if I gotta remind ya! It's not me who doesn't know how to-" yet he wisely stopped himself right there, right before he could have said something very stupid indeed. Lowering his cranial unit, not daring to look the Air Commander in his ruby optics, Ratchet felt quite ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean for you to feel like that. It's usually not like me to take another's control away from them." What could he do? He'd made feel Starscream not only angry, but hurt as well and that stung. "I wasn't humoring you... still aren't... and well... let's just keep it at the fact that I haven't been 'affected' like this in quite a long time. Probably not since..." cutting himself off once again, Ratchet straightened his back. "I was trying to make you feel good, enjoy yourself at least a little and make you forget that you're not supposed to be here at all... make you forget that you're amongst enemies here... make you forget that you're in danger... I swear I only wanted you not to be so jittery and afraid of everything. Guess you're not afraid if you can snap at me like that huh?" Ratchet gave him a crooked grin, not really certain if the Decepticon had understood what he'd meant to say.

He flinched at Ratchet's anger, arousal and sudden fear warring in his processor. A quiet apology soothed him almost instantly, and he went back to stroking the medic. "I don't MIND you taking control! It just... didn't seem fair, I felt so good and you... didn't seem to feel at all. I... I'm not afraid, not of you," not most of the time, because most of the time Ratchet wasn't angry, was so very gentle. "I... Even with THEM, I'm probably sa... Can we stop talking, can we please... I would like to feel your spark again, but if you don't want me too, can I at least overload?" His systems really were overheating, and while Starscream could work them down in time, well, he would much prefer the pleasure of an overload!

Startled, he dumbly stared at the Seeker for a few astroseconds longer than necessary. He wanted to continue? Just like that? "Well, yes... of course." Ratchet reminded himself firmly that it was neither time nor place nor appropriate to throw a hissy fit right now. It wouldn't do at all, but none the less, he wanted to. He wanted to scream and rage at the Air Commander how he could just go back from an argument like this and sink into pleasure almost instantly. It made no sense at all! Then again, Starscream didn't need to make sense now did he? He was the mentally instable mech in his care right now and Ratchet would just have to deal with it. Nodding to the Seeker in silent permission and acceptance he leaned down, nudging the cockpit aside with his olfactory sensor, slowly tracing the plating seams around the interior and stroking the pilot seat with one of his digits while he busied his other hand upon the sleek surface of Starscream's right wing.

Starscream shrank into himself a little as Ratchet's initial reaction to his plea was a simple stare. A moment later, the Decepticon thought maybe he had only imagined it as pleasure was added into the mix again. He relaxed, threading his digits carefully into one of the medic's seams. Had Ratchet agreed to another merge, or only to the Air Commander's own overload? Starscream wasn't sure, was quickly surrendering the ability to think again, and just wanted to enjoy this. They could argue afterwards! "Am I going to feel you, or should I just enjoy this...?" Starscream asked weakly, already arching up again.

"Enjoy it for now," was his evasive answer as he latched onto the control panel in the Air Commander's cockpit, stroking it with his glossa. Pit but he didn't want to do it like this. He didn't want his spark and processor to be like this, didn't want them to disagree. His spark told him that he was being ridiculous by refusing the Seeker and his processor told him that it was the only possible way of action, even going so far as to demand of him to just leave Starscream to his own devices in his current condition. True they were enemies, but he was still a medic, he would not deny a patient of his if he could help it. The Decepticon's systems were cooperating nicely however, they had barely managed to cool down from the previous stimuli so it didn't take long for Ratchet to have the Seeker underneath him thrashing and screaming from desire once more.

Mewling unhappily, Starscream didn't really have a choice. He was in no real position to protest, didn't really want to, for all he hated that Ratchet had apparently decided not to take his own enjoyment from this encounter. And it was every so much easier to give in and scream, drown his thoughts and worries and fears in pleasure, such lovely pure pleasure. "Ratchet... Oh, Ratch', please... So good, please, more, just a little...!"

Complying with the Seeker immediately, he sought out the joystick once more, rubbing it with his glossa while gripping onto the mech so that his violent movements wouldn't throw him off. Starscream's overload tapered off only slowly, probably due to the fact that Ratchet hadn't relinquished the stimulation to his sweet spot just yet. He knew if he continued for just another astrosecond the Air Commander would seamlessly fall into recharge from his spark's contentment and so he wasn't worried in the least as one system after the other shut down within the Seeker and his frame grew still. "Recharge for now," Ratchet murmured lowly and sneaked off of his berth and back into the office within his med bay to regain a clear processor and think things through calmly. This couldn't go on the way it was right now...

Starscream tried to stay awake, whimpering a little as Ratchet skillfully worked him towards recharge. They had things to talk about, an argument to resume! And... he felt so good. So safe. He whimpered again, but the Seeker couldn't fight off recharge any longer.

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	3. Chapter 3

And here is the final chapter of this story. I hope you enjoy! Transformers still aren't ours.  


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Waking in the dim room, Starscream didn't know how long he'd been out or, immediately, where he was. He was alone, he could barely see, there were no stars visible... Even the planet's moon was hidden. No breeze... He was inside, inside... inside where? The cave? But he had been found, hadn't he? But then, where was... where was... the medic, right, Ratchet, where was he, they had interfaced, hadn't they? But where was he now? Starscream didn't even realize he was screeching as he tried to figure out where he was, what was going on. Screeching, curling up into a ball again, he was alone...

About a joor after he had retreated into his office, he was jerked out of his recharge violently. All the alarms he'd sat in case Starscream onlined, was distressed, or merely moved, had blared him out of his uneasy recharge. He felt almost worse than before the little recharge he'd gotten after overworking his processor with thinking and thinking and thinking. Gingerly he rose from his chair and made his way through the door.

Immediately he processed the frightened screeches and raced into his quarters where the distressed sounds were emanating from. Starscream had woken in a room with dimmed lights, which had been intended for his optics to adjust to the little light first, and alone, which had not been intended at all and had been a stupid idea to begin with. "Starscream," he whispered urgently, scanning the entire room to find the Seeker, curled up on his berth, a pitiful shivering mess of limbs.

A brighter light hit his optics from... a doorway? Yes, a door... He was being let out? Starscream couldn't make himself move, not even to crawl to the door, to the light. And there was someone standing in the door... he'd start laughing soon, laugh at his great, feared Air Commander brought so low, by something so simple, so STUPID... He'd laugh, but he'd also let him out, make him get fixed and go fly...

A puzzled look crossed Starscream's face. Had he gotten confused again? Another look towards the door, and Starscream realized that yes, he had gotten very confused. That was Ratchet standing there, the Autobot medic, and he was on the Ark... He was... was in the medic's own quarters, wasn't he? And he'd managed to stop screaming, but he couldn't uncurl, couldn't stop shaking.

Slowly and in the most unthreatening way he could manage, Ratchet crept closer to the berth where the Decepticon was still curled up about himself. But at least now he had stopped screaming, which meant that he would most certainly hear him now. "It's alright, Starscream. There's no need for you to panic. You're not caged here, in fact you can come with me and out of here right now if you only ask for it." He spoke in a gentle and reassuring voice which he hadn't used since he'd visited a colleague and his family unit a couple hundred eons ago. Starscream was as sensitive and jumpy as a sparkling right now, so he would have to treat him with just as much care and consideration as well.

"And go WHERE?" Starscream asked, flinching a moment later. A moment after that, he just kind of slumped down. "Slag... we're almost back where we started, aren't we?" He didn't want to be there, he wanted to be comfortable with the medic again, wanted to feel welcome again. Well... maybe 'welcome' wasn't quite the word... "Why did you stop letting me pleasure you?"

"Where? I've told you, wherever you want. Yet I did have a destination in mind. The rec room is waiting for you, after all your energon levels are drastically low and quite certainly need a boost." Ratchet had a few principles regarding his patients and one of those was that he wasn't their nanny! So the Seeker better lift his sorry aft and get his energon himself, thank you very much. "Well, I'd call you less scared, more cooperative and most of all capable of simple sight once again." He pointed out the differences to the time when he had coerced him to come out of the cave, but the Seeker still hadn't moved and it worried him a little. Yet the next question kind of blew his processor blank for a few astroseconds before he could answer the Air Commander.

"Because it meant nothing to you. I mean nothing to you and that's not the way I can deal with such things. I need there to be more than just simple necessity. I don't want you to grow dependent on me, knowing this will lead to nothing but sparkache. As lousy as it may sound to your Decepticon programming... I need a commitment." Where he took the patience from to explain all this to the Decepticon was beyond his own processor to comprehend, but at least he'd been honest with him and he would settle for nothing else. He despised lies and half truths, besides that would only hinder his patient's progress.

Oh... Ratchet didn't meant for him to leave the Ark... and Starscream was low on energon. He'd have to ask Ratchet where the rec room was, of course, but... "You do not! You do NOT mean nothing... THAT did not mean nothing. Not to me!" It had meant a lot more than he had thought it would, but that was beside the point. "You don't want to do this again... fine, I'll deal." Because he couldn't commit, he was a Decepticon, Ratchet was an Autobot, and the whole argument was just showing that were huge differences between them, a yawning crevasse that neither could, or would, cross.

The response he drew from the Air Commander was unexpected and quite surprising, but other than that, it changed nothing. Things would continue to be the way they were between them, strained at best. "Well, get to your feet then. The way to the rec room isn't too long, so I guess you'll manage," he ground out a bit gruffly, and those mechs that knew Ratchet would have known to be wary of him now, because a grumpy and moody medic was a medic preferably not to cross. And if one didn't have a very good reason to do otherwise, a medic to avoid until he was snarling and raving again. Turning into the direction of the door that connected his quarters to the med bay, he held one hand open towards them in invitation and guidance, showing the Seeker the way as well as urging him onwards to make the step himself.

He didn't even protest. Didn't say a word... didn't even acknowledge Starscream's outburst. And that hurt the Air Commander far worse than almost anything else Ratchet could have done. "Yeah. I'll manage. Why not, I've managed everything else..." Starscream muttered, standing. He forced his arms to hang naturally, his wings to be still and proud... Ratchet didn't want him to be weak, didn't want him to be anything other than the Decepticon Air Commander that both sides knew... so that was what Starscream would be.

They remained in this uncomfortable situation for the next few days, while Ratchet steadily worked towards bringing Starscream to optimal condition. Aside from the growing frustration of neither flying NOR overloading, the Decepticon couldn't remember when he'd last felt this good, physically. He was warm, the ship was dry, there was enough energon and no rationing, and his systems were being gone over with a carefulness that he didn't remember ever before experiencing. But he and Ratchet never really talked, not like they had the first day, not like what Starscream had almost gotten comfortable with. He was almost fully repaired now, and the Decepticon wondered if Optimus would let him simply walk away, or if Ratchet would let him go without even trying to clear up whatever it was between them.

Nothing had changed, that sentence had never been more true than since Starscream had ended up in his care. His repairs were progressing normally and few disturbed him during his work. Not that Starscream even could have disturbed him during most of them, seeing as he was offline for a good ninety percent of them due to the delicateness of the matter and his systems. Ratchet knew very well just how sensitive a flier's systems were and how touchy their temper during repairs was, the aerial bots had taught him that, so he was quite surprised that Starscream didn't complain once during the entire process, nor did he whine and ask when he could be released, which was odd, quite odd as Prowl, Jazz and Optimus agreed.

The solar cycle was drawing to a close and the daily spectacle known as sunset was taking place when Ratchet received an urgent transmission and froze within his movements. Prowl was alerting him to incomings from the previous battle. Slag it, but Ratchet hadn't even known that there had been a battle going on for a good joor! Dropping the arc welder onto a supply cabinet he quickly closed up Starscream's cockpit without having done what he'd intended and the Seeker threw him an understandably surprised look. Moments later, apparently the Air Commander had just decided to voice his growing confusion as Swoop and First Aid already reported to med bay, saluting him and asking how they could be of service.

"Prepare for emergency level 3," he barked at them and continued to do just that himself, sorting and resorting tools and supplies, rearranging some repair berths so that they would fit those injured. The second in command had told him that Ironhide and the twins were amongst the injured, not their specific injuries mind you, only a medic could ascertain those and most officers respected that, so they didn't voice their vague guesses due to only limited knowledge in the medical field. "Why are both of you here anyway?" Ratchet couldn't keep himself from snarling irritably, at least one of his apprentices, banned from the med bay until further notice or Starscream left the base, whichever came first, should have been there to pose as field medic should he be needed. Yet both of them had apparently remained at the Ark... most unusual.

Confusion gave way to concern. Starscream wasn't sure what to do. He didn't WANT to be in the medbay while others were being repaired, not unless he was being repaired at the same time, it just brought too many memories to mind. The fact that the injured were Autobots just made everything that much worse, and Starscream only noticed he was rocking back and forth when Swoop paused and gave him a very confused look. Regaining his hold on his processor, the Seeker threw the dinobot a smirk before standing and going to a clear patch of wall. Hopefully he would be out of the way here, because Starscream didn't want to be ordered away from Ratchet. No matter how strained things were between them, it was still the medic who had taken him under his care, and no one else was safe, not really, not even that music-playing Jazz. So he'd just stay here, stay out of the way, and hope things settled down quickly.

"This was no ordinary plant siege like usual. Ironhide and the others were ambushed during a training exercise, at least that's what Blaster told us before communications with them broke down due to the distance," First Aid answered him in a clear and collected way, only the slight trembling of his torso gave his fear away.

Nodding in understanding, Ratchet directed Swoop to split the incoming warriors into three groups, depending on their injury and resulting need for fast or immediate treatment. Swoop perked up at his given task immediately, going over to his regular area of the med bay. A queasy moment built up between the dinobot and Starscream, seeing as the Seeker was more or less blocking one of the dinobots repair berths. Ratchet knew he should have asked Starscream to either leave the med bay in favor for the rec room or even his office as the Air Commander stood up to lean against the wall with one of his less pleasant looks plastered onto his faceplate. Yet his reaction appeared to have calmed Swoop, seeing as it was something he apparently had expected from him. Ratchet was kept from intervening, as the warriors arrived. Optimus was missing his left arm from the shoulder joint downwards, Ironhide had to be supported by the twins, which he complained about loudly and with the worst pit spawned words his creations ever had to hear in med bay. Really, Ratchet could have a foul language, but Ironhide surpassed him like a mountain could tower over a sand castle.

The red warrior was missing his right leg and a big chunk of his torso as well, not to mention the cracked left optic and almost ripped of extra armor on top of his cranial unit. Prowl was missing a doorwing, which made him quite unsteady on his feet so that he had to lean against Jazz for support, who was the least hurt. He only had a few shot streaks on his paint job and his head lights had given out on him, probably punched through by the look of them. Bluestreak, jittery as ever after a battle, was worming his way through all of them, desperately searching the med bay for his lover. A quick glance and wave of Ratchet's hand had the gunner stumbling towards him, apparently his equilibrium gauge needed some work, which was a legitimate excuse to let him stay with First Aid due to medical reasons. Shooing him over, he went to the immediate cases, the twins themselves and Ironhide. No matter what the slagger said, he saw that he was in pain, the multiple slangs within his cussing had tipped him off on that. Sideswipe's armor was almost silver in a couple of places, apparently he'd gone down hard wherever from and his jet pack had been shot. Sunstreaker was complaining about his paint job as usual, but the hole in his cranial unit concerned Ratchet far more. Somehow the twins had once again managed to ignore every single direction given to them by the medics and had ended up dangerously close to Starscream. Making his way through a big chunk of his med bay, absently waving Prowl onto a berth in the middle, he watched with trepidation as Sideswipe's gaze fell onto the Decepticon Seeker leaning casually against the wall.

"Hey, ya lil' fragger. What's scum like ya doin' in here?" the red twin snarled, absentmindedly rubbing a patch of silver plating on his thigh.

"Probably posing as scrap and spare parts now that he ain't of use to his master no longer. I hear Skywarp has been promoted to Air Commander now that Megatron's little plaything is no longer available for the job," Sunstreaker sneered venomously, and Ratchet could see the Seeker's wings tremble at the tips. If he wouldn't blow up in the twins face then he would do something that was probably even more stupid. He had to stop this!

It would be wisest to ignore them, pretend they simply didn't exist... No, Starscream decided, looking at the red twin and trying to keep his expression calm and controlled. Weirdly enough, he recognized this personality, and knew that the mech would just keep bothering him until he gave an answer. It was the same thing that Skywarp would do. "'Warp? Have my job? Ridiculous, not even Megatron would be stupid enough to do that. Wouldn't give it to TC either... Ramjet would be a far better choice for the job, and wouldn't destroy the aerial forces from stupidity." Starscream delivered his opinion in a drawling and superior tone, and only his vaguely trembling wings gave away his discomfort. He desperately hoped the rumor was just that, a rumor. They might not always get along, but Skywarp was part of his trine, and if Megatron was terrorizing his trine like that... he just might have to admit to everyone what Megatron was DOING, and beg for their help.

Worry flooded his processor as Starscream turned his cranial unit to acknowledge the twins, but the reply calmed him a little. Ratchet wasn't certain if anyone beside him had realized it, but by the looks of it only Jazz had caught the term of endearment for what it was. The twins probably thought it to be a simple shortcut for a long name, but Ratchet knew better, for he knew the tone the Air Commander had used while voicing it. Briefly had he heard that tone being directed at him...yet then the Seeker had apparently gotten his processor straightened out again and had reverted back to the old Decepticon persona the medic had known for eons now, apart from the missing conversation.

He was tempted to use his arc welder to clear up the little commotion none the less though, but Ironhide had caught sight of him by now and was motioning Sideswipe to retreat. The twins didn't listen to their superiors all that much, but seeing as the warrior made it look as if he was just motioning them aside so that Ratchet could gain better access to his injuries they didn't bitch about it. Not that it would have helped them any. Partially shielding Starscream from the other's optics with his own chassis, he groused almost silently as the weapons specialist got into a heated argument with Sideswipe about who was the dumber Decepticon, Dirge or Ravage.

"I'm telling you, if that thing didn't know how to fly, if one can even call that knowledge valuable, it would be a mass of unmoving metal fer sure! Just as much of a scrap heap as that 'con over there." Sideswipe ended with a snicker and a pointed hand, making his twin loose a guffaw of laughter that was supposed to show him his superiority.

"If there is another 'bot that wants to be rebuilt as a pencil sharpener or paper shredder for Prowl's office, I'd advise him to just open his mouth and keep up the insults in MY med bay," Ratchet whispered icily, putting some special emphasis on the fact that they were all dependent upon him where they were. Ironhide looked at him with wide, startled optics not comprehending why he was defending the Seeker the way he was. It was custom for the twins to bitch around with him after battles and their antics sure made the medic threaten them repeatedly, but never like this. Most of the time it was more fun than earnest, yet Ironhide could see that his old friend was drop dead serious about his threat this time.

"Dirge," Starscream said into the quiet that descended from Ratchet's hissed threat. He smirked slightly at the confusion he'd created, explaining, "Ravage isn't stupid. If you think he is, he's done his job... but call him stupid again, and I'll tell Soundwave you did." Ratchet's earlier move to shield him hadn't gone unnoticed, and Starscream might have been touched by the medic's concern, if he hadn't already shown he preferred Starscream to be strong. As it was, the protection simply confused the Seeker, and was very nearly an insult. He was able to keep mostly calm, even talking to the Tormentors, only because they were both injured, harmless to him right now, and if he DID attack them, he'd probably have the entire med bay attacking him back. And... he rather hoped he could hear more, was Skywarp really taking his place?

Was that retarded mentally insane? Ratchet's spark burned with fury. Who would have thought that Starscream could be enough of an idiot to taunt the twins? It wasn't as if they would dare to hurt him while he was a patient in his med bay, oh no, that would come much much later. He had seen them do their jet judo before and he hadn't liked it. But now, knowing just how sensitive the Seeker's systems truly were... he would loath it even more he knew and he would quite probably even be angry at them if they returned from the next battle, boasting about how they had taken down the Seekers...

Ironhide threw him a strange glance as he didn't reprimand the Seeker for speaking up, yet threw a handy wrench at Sideswipe as the red mech tried to voice a reply that no doubt wouldn't have been friendly, commenting the move with one single word: 'quiet'. The scowl he received from both red warriors for his actions didn't faze him. He only hoped that he would be able to be himself again the next time he had to face the Decepticon's Air Commander on the battlefield.

Starscream's smirk never wavered, and his wings finally stopped their infernal trembling. He wasn't ignorant of the favoritism Ratchet had just shown him, but his self-preservation instincts were enough to keep him from making any bigger of a deal about it. Of course he would probably pay for his actions the next time he was in battle... Worry about that later, after he survived Megatron's wrath for his 'capture'. The Seeker was quite willing to fall silent... didn't want to piss off the medic he still depended on, after all.

After everyone had been tended to and his med bay was finally his again, well, apart from Starscream that was, he oversaw and checked how his apprentices had left their parts of the med bay. Some cleaning up of little importance had to be added at both workstations. It was nothing the two wouldn't have done the next time they came back into medical, but Ratchet preferred an out of use workstation to actually be out of use. No tool was supposed to be forgotten on top of it, not even a rag and so he put both away into their proper places before he recollected the last arc welder from the far wall, where it had embedded itself after helping him to successfully chase Jazz out of the door. He wasn't certain why he had fallen victim to such dramatic mood swings during today's repairs, but he strongly suspected a certain Seeker to be partially responsible. "Alright, where were we... oh yes, long range radar," Ratchet muttered to himself, reopening the internal diagnostic report of the Seeker in his processor and turning around to face the Decepticon.

"You have been working all day, and now you think I'll let you work on my systems?" Starscream protested, shaking his head. "No, you're going to rest and refuel before I let you anywhere near me." It was easier to cloak his concern for the medic in his expected arrogance, and would draw fewer questions. Missing Ratchet's mood swings has been impossible, and even though Starscream mentally cursed himself for it, he was still afraid for his rescuer's health. Pit, this had been the first time he'd seen the medic around any of his friends, and that couldn't be a good thing!

"You slagged up arrogant, obnoxious-" He didn't even finish his insult, instead opting to use the one method that never failed. The just recollected arc welder was once again turned into a projectile and served to immobilize the Seeker as he hit a point on his cranial unit underneath which a connection line of his CPU towards his motor functions rested. Slowly walking over to his patient he calmly collected the mech and put him onto a repair berth.

"The sooner I'm done with you the better. Why I even care to repair you fully if beyond me. Probably 'cause you've never been treated by a medic before. But why am I even talking to you? It's not as if you'll notice the difference anyway. One day outside of the Ark and all the work I've put in you will be ruined again. It's just the same with all of you, barely out of here you run off to battle and then there comes the day when you don't return." Ratchet just went on and on, talking all his fear and frustration away, never even noticing the washer fluid that slid down his faceplate. The Seeker wouldn't care either way, so why should it concern him? After repairs were finished he was no longer his concern, Prowl had made that quite clear.

Starscream was quite ready to live up to his name about now, but of course Ratchet had removed that possiblity from him. And people called HIM a coward! At least when HE confessed things, his listeners were able to talk back, respond in SOME way. But no, Ratchet was such a coward that he'd rather just babble it all out when he couldn't do anything, and afterwards... well, Starscream had the feeling he was supposed to just pretend this never happened. Did Ratchet really think he WANTED to go back, had the medic really heard a single word he'd said? He simply had to, that was all. In the same way that Soundwave protected his younglings, Starscream was protecting the air corps, even if they didn't know it. And Megatron was horrible, but he was RIGHT. HE was the one sending energon back to Cybertron, HE was the one restoring their homeworld, and HE didn't let his troops punish someone when they didn't deserve it!

Frustration nagged at his processor, those gauges were some tiny and tricky little fraggers. The breem Starscream had been caught immobile was up and Ratchet wondered just how long it would take the Seeker to notice that he could move again. Hands deep within his cockpit he reattached wiring and scanned the old codes that operated the gauge, adjusting the settings as needed. Were his optics deceiving him or was there a hair fracture in the gauge? Yes, there was a tiny little rip in the metal. Tracing the fracture with the tip of a digit he felt the metal giving way at the edges, splintering into itself. "It's no use, I'll have to take it out," he decided and did just that. Slag, why hadn't he seen that sooner?

"Ow! Slaggit, that... oh." Starscream noticed belatedly that his glossa was working again, and shut up. He'd wait until Ratchet had closed him up to confront the medic... and confront Ratchet he would, even if the Autobot DID want to pretend his little outburst had never happened. Right now, the Seeker wasn't even sure he could really stand up, and he'd prefer not to be at a complete disadvantage if he intended to make Ratchet angry. On the other hand... "I'm surprised you could see that with the amount of washer fluid you leaked."

"And I'm surprised you didn't crash at any landing with your equilibrium gauge in such a state," he shot back, absolutely unfazed by the implication the Decepticon could be hiding by bringing the subject up. Turning around partially with the broken gauge in hand, he squeezed it just a little too tight and it splintered into tiny little shards consisting of sharp edges. "That's what could have happened every time your frame fell victim to a jarring," Ratchet told the surprised looking Seeker. He didn't mention that a hit could have done just the same damage. Instead he just went over to a storage cabinet and retrieved a new gauge, copying the coding of the old into the new gauge and carried it over to his patient.

He hadn't realized it was nearly so bad... Starscream wasn't stupid, he had suspected before that there was something wrong with that gauge. Only rarely, and usually when pulling an already complicated maneuver, but it had seemed like some things were harder than he remembered them. But then, he'd had a hundred other things to worry about, pains to distract him, to excuse away the issues. "You still don't GET it, do you? You act like you think I WANT to be in this condition, like I WANT to keep fighting until I'm slagged and dragged in to Hook! I'm busy trying to keep myself and my dependents alive while ill maintenance slowly kills us, if outright attacks don't get to us first!"

"THEN WHY DON'T YOU CHANGE THAT?!" Ratchet hissed, thunderously bad tempered in his fury. He couldn't get it, it had been agreed upon during the early days that... but that was just it probably... the early days... most of his own faction were either too old or too young to remember them clearly, apart from him it seemed.

"The old treaties that were agreed upon during the first three orns of the previous war were reaffirmed during the first three breems of this war. Tell me, Starscream... do you even know about those treaties, or had Megatron left all of you in the dark about that?" he asked in a much calmer and somewhat sad tone. Could it truly be that none of the Decepticons knew that medics were still considered neutral, no matter the affiliation they stayed with for protection?

Starscream managed, barely, to keep from flinching as Ratchet got angry again. He had expected it, after all, and was ready to return in kind. Before he could, Ratchet continued speaking, and Starscream's anger vanished into total confusion. "I know there are treaties. Prisoners have mentioned things about them... What does that have to do with repairs? Aside from the fact I heard you invoke one of those things to repair me."

A long sigh preceded his response at that. Of course... none of them had been told, he should have known! "The treaties of old state quite clearly that any mech asking for help or asylum will be granted his request with certain restrictions as the faction leader sees fit. That would be the 'no hurting prisoners' part, which you know, I take it. But there is far more than just that. One of the most important aspects of the treaties of old ascertain that medics are neutral. Ergo we have no faction, no matter whom we stay with for protection or whose 'badge' we wear. Medics are, true to our training, purposefully present at almost every battle to take care of the injured, because we're the only ones that can. No matter which side you fight for, you can come to a medic and be treated if injured and go back the way you came without needing to fear to be shot in the back. So the treaty declares it and has remained as a fact ever since." Ratchet didn't like long winded explanations, but at the unbelieving look on the Seeker's face, he had assumed it as necessary to be as clear as possible.

"You mean... we don't HAVE to go Hook? All this time, we've had a CHOICE?" Starscream's voice was low and angry again, though the anger wasn't directed at Ratchet any more. Was it... oh, it very much was worth the risk. Megatron would be furious... but they might actually be able to... well, to deal with that. If enough of them got more functional, enough actually got into the optimal range... "We wouldn't attack you, won't. Or your friends, at least as much as we can get away with it. We... well, it's complicated, need to talk to them, see how much... but... We've had a slagging CHOICE?"

"Yes, Starscream. All the time you've had a choice that was denied to you due to lack of knowledge. The treaties of old were generated to prevent casualties in this war, no matter the faction. I can not believe you've never been told... none of you... Slaggit! All those times... all those prisoners... Primus, why didn't I..." Ratchet trailed off, pressing his palm to his faceplate in an effort not to see, not to be haunted by the sights of prisoners he'd repaired during their capture and later seen on the battlefield... as sparkless shells... They could've avoided all that if they'd just told them, told every single one of them about the treaties...

He still... CARED for Ratchet. Even more now that he'd shared this news, this wonderful... "You... didn't... You couldn't know. You mostly caught low ranked mechs, never anyone high enough to show what Megatron... does. You... Look at this! You've got me, the Decepticon Air Commander, COMFORTING you!" They would bring things... their own supplies, Starscream decided absently. Bad enough they were using the Autobot's medic, they weren't going to rely on the Autobot stores while they were at it. Not while they were fighting. And they would be fighting until... until Megatron wasn't around, at least.

"I don't need your comfort!" he sniffed angrily, turning away from Starscream so that he wouldn't see the washer fluid on his faceplate once more. Slagged up fragger. Why could he get underneath his plating so easily? Why was he making him realize things he should've thought about so much earlier? Wiping the fluid away he tried to regain at least some of his composure.

"Equilibrium gauge," Ratchet muttered to himself, snatching up the previously discarded gauge, checking and rechecking it with various settings of his optics and scanners. Not that he doubted that it was in optimal condition, he just wanted to be absolutely sure. Then he stepped back over to Starscream, motioning him to lie back down. "Will I have to disable your motor functions again or do you think you can let me do this without twitching?" He humored the Air Commander lightly, trying to make the conversation stay peaceful and last. It was good to be on speaking terms with the Seeker once again.

Obeying the silent directive, Starscream smirked. "Yes, I do believe I can put up with the tickling you'll cause." It couldn't possibly be harder than putting up with Hook's... well, okay, he shouldn't compare things like that. "It will be... nice, pulling simple maneuvers without getting dizzy. Or at least, as dizzy." And it would be nice to be able to sit up without almost sliding off the berth, but that had been his own fault for sitting up in the first place. "Do you know... HAS 'Warp taken my place? I mean, I... hadn't thought that Megatron might... try to replace me."

A little surprised at the apparent ease with which Starscream fell back into their earlier easy going relationship, before his crucial mistake of breaking the strictly professional line of his work, Ratchet took a moment to realize that the Air Commander had just teased him. Smiling a little ruefully at the admittance of just how much the defective gauge had troubled the Seeker, he began the delicate procedure of reattaching it into his systems, stabilizing the new piece in it's place and running diagnostics over the gauge and the surrounding systems to integrate it more smoothly.

"From what little Jazz has volunteered informationwise, and what I could squeeze out of Mirage before he left... yes, it does quite appear so. Also they have both mentioned that he seems more... exhausted and withdrawn... downright jumpy and almost frightened as much in battle as out of it. Prowl even expressed his concern at this new development and Optimus shares that opinion. Whatever it is Megatron is making him do... it's doing him no good." Ratchet acknowledged with a withdrawn look in his optics. Oh, he had noticed that Starscream was especially touchy when the subject of his leader came up, but he suspected that there was more to it than he was led on to believe. Yet he also respected his privacy, he would not pry if the flier didn't intend to share.

"Slag. Ratchet... please, I need to get back there. I appreciate that you want to get me back to optimal, but... Ratchet, he can't... I've been shielding 'Warp, he doesn't... he didn't KNOW what... We'll be coming to you, and when all of us are as good as we CAN be, we can get rid of Megatron, but I need to go back." Slaggit, he was shaking again. Good thing Ratchet had withheld his answer until the gauge was in. "SLAG him, why 'Warp? He's YOUNG, he was... innocent..." Well, that was why then.

"Hmmm... well I'm glad you're considering that. I should stock up on spare parts then..." He muttered absent mindedly, already creating a list of the things he knew he'd need aplenty then. "Inno-...?" A terrifying thought took hold of his spark at those words... Primus no! If the megalomaniac tyrant had sunken that low by now... "Please, Starscream, tell me you didn't mean to imply anything... anything at all by that," he almost pleaded in a shocked whisper, already knowing by the look he was given by the Seeker that he wouldn't be able to affirm that statement.

"I need to get back there, Ratchet. Hopefully before 'Warp looses that," Starscream answered, deadly serious. Well, he knew Ratchet would help them, at least. That was a very good start. "Listen, you... could you maybe suggest the others not shoot as us that much? Not to damage? The fliers and Soundwave, at least, and I can guarantee the fliers will be doing the same." Starscream was quite seriously ready to up and leave right now, or at least the moment Ratchet finished closing him up.

"I can try, but I'm not sure Prowl or Prime are going to like the idea much. But I can promise you that I'll personally threaten to disable the twins completely if they so much as think about jet judo." He could affirm at least that much. "It would probably be best if you talked it over with Prowl or even better with Prime himself… why not while I work through Skywarp?" Ratchet suggested gently, trying to stress the last part. The flier would need repairs if what Starscream had hinted at was true, and the Air Commander looked as serious as he had ever seen him.

Even if only the twins stopped, it would be a huge help. "I... could talk it over with them." He'd be alone, Ratchet would be busy... he could handle it. He had to handle it. "May I go now? I'll send TC with 'Warp, and I'm afraid I'm going to be damaged again next time I'm able to see you."

Sighing at the blatant way in which the Seeker was trying to flee, he considered his scanner's feedbacks for the last time, yet the gauge was working according to it's coding, so there really wasn't anything he could hold against Starscream's wish to leave the med bay, especially seeing as he only wanted to do so to help one of his fellow trine mates and not to flee from him. "Very well, but make certain that they open communications with us before landing. Ironhide is quite twitchy these days. I'll make sure that everyone remembers the treaties of old though, just in case," he assured the Seeker, closed the cockpit's canopy after gently sliding the instruments back into their proper places and allowed Starscream to sit up, while he turned to clean the arc welder with a rag. Unwilling to see the Decepticon leave his med bay, he just pinged Prowl and Red Alert over their comm. links, making sure that they would clear a path for the Air Commander to use without interceptions.

"Right, I'll..." Starscream cycled his vents and wrapped Ratchet in a hug from behind. "You've reminded me what hope is. Thank you. I... regret that I could do so little in return..." Releasing Ratchet, the Seeker stepped back, one final thought occurring to him. "Thundercracker will be able to care for Skywarp in that manner, if you would prefer to keep things purely professional." He regretted THAT, too, but not in the way or for the reasons that Ratchet probably did. There was no more to be said, and so Starscream turned, more or less running out of the Autobot ship and flying for the first time since he'd been put in that cave, and all he hoped was that he'd be in time to protect Skywarp.

Startled by the sudden and gentle emotion showing through the Seeker's actions, Ratchet froze up in both surprise and befuddlement. Before he could even say anything in return the Air Commander was running away from him, and it hurt to only see his back… moving away from him so quickly… regardlessly, even though he had thanked him. That was something a regular Starscream wouldn't have done… ever. It showed Ratchet that he had indeed changed something within the Decepticon. Maybe that was something he could build hope upon… hope for the future? No matter the fact that the obnoxious slagger had dared to hint at him… treating Skywarp in anything but a professional manner. He'd never interfaced with a patient before, hadn't ever contemplated the possibility and wouldn't ever want to again. Ratchet was sure of that now. Starscream had been a special patient, more special than any other he'd ever treated, and that would just have to suffice should Prowl inquire or Prime question his report.

It wasn't too long until just that happened, but it was Jazz that breeched the subject first with him. Brave as the special op's slagger was, Ratchet hadn't expected him of all mechs to speak up. Yet he was quite thankful to be able to confide into someone that was as level headed as Jazz was, if he put his mind to it of course. Usually Jazz was all games, but he could be achingly honest and almost as logically detached as Prowl was more often then not. After their talk, he felt loads better and actually had a vague idea of where Starscream could have come from and might stand in regards to him now. Filing an official request with Prime to be allowed to build an open med bay, at least as a side-breach, out in the desert where he could be approached by anyone in need of his aid, Ratchet had a hard time fighting his right through, but with the help of Jazz and Skyfire, he managed it in the end.

The process of actually building it didn't take as long as he would have expected, but seeing as Prime had made it into a joint effort by them and the human government, after convincing them that it would be seen as a peace offering to the Decepticons with whom the humans definitely wanted peace... it had been helped along nicely. Now, almost an orn after Starscream had left, the 'open med bay' as Wheeljack teasingly called it, was finished. Grapple had done a wonderful job, keeping to the blueprints exactly, adjusting anything and everything to Ratchet's personal specifications and requests. Yes, he would be able to work in here... maybe even work wonders and achieve what he had dreamed of since his own sparklinghood... true peace between Cybertronians that would lead them to a new golden age...

It was two whole trines that came to the new med-bay only shortly after it was built. Yeah, sure, they'd been watching and waiting. Who could blame them? Especially because both trines were working together, Thrust and Ramjet holding Skywarp up, while Dirge and Thundercracker supported Starscream. Both had obviously been patched, but both were missing their wings. Megatron had NOT been happy. "Ratchet?" Starscream asked, trying to at least stand on his own.

Not too long after he'd set up working in the open med bay, which Prime had made clear he was expected to do no matter whether he was on duty or not, patients had found their way to him. The first one had been little Bumblebee, who had come in with a blown tire, a rather embarrassing injury in and of itself and Spike really hadn't gotten the hint that it wasn't appreciated that he tried to hover over the entire procedure... Bumblebee wasn't a regular human built car after all, so the injury wasn't as easily repaired as he had acquired it.

Just after he'd seen the minibot off, he'd noticed approaching shadows on the skyline. So the Seeker would keep his word after all... It wasn't that Ratchet had expected him not to, he was just surprised that he would have bothered to notice when he would be able to. Readying the med bay in the way he did after battles, when he didn't know what kind of injuries to expect, but feared for the worst, he was ready for whatever they could bring to his attention. Apart from the sight that greeted him.

His optics narrowed noticeably as he became aware of the uncharacteristically wingless Seekers hovering around the entrance. Shock penetrated his processor and threatened to freeze it up, but he fought it down. "Once I get the glitched retards responsible for such unnecessary vandalism..." Ratchet growled and pointed both parties to two different berths with sharp gestures of his hands, his own frame rigid with tension.

"How much fuel, coolant and energon have you lost by now?" he asked, trying to calculate whom he would have to fix first, moving over to the cabinets to fish for some trinkets that would dull sensory replies and refine fuel so that it would sustain the mech longer, as well as grabbing two low grade cubes, he waited for the answer as he walked back to the still sitting patients. Yes, these were no Decepticons, these were mechs that had been hurt for no real reason, no justifiable reason and Ratchet wouldn't let that go unscathed. But it didn't mean that he would give them the pits for it, no, he would try to fix them as fast and as thoroughly as he could.

"Ratchet, relax. Hook patched the worst the same joor Megatron removed them. Work on 'Warp first, he... doesn't know how to handle it like I do," Starscream answered calmly, at least he hoped he sounded calm. He accepted the energon gratefully, drinking half before handing the rest of the cube to Ramjet. "'Jet needs work too, built for ramming or not... well, he's not let Hook into his circuits, probably a good thing. I'm still in good shape from last time, I just look bad right now." Thundercracker was over with Skywarp, Thrust helping the blue jet, both petting and murmuring soothing things to the youngest Seeker. They were all watching Ratchet closely, waiting to see what he would do.

"Patched? You don't look patched. You look as if that fragger just managed to hide some holes in your armor. That's not patching," Ratchet groused. "And don't consume it too fast, might cause your processor to freeze if ya do after too long of going without," he added with a concerned sweep over the conehead partially supporting the Air Commander. Starscream was quite a bit off balance due to the fact of his missing wings. "Right… how long's it been?" All kind of information would be helpful in this matter, so he needed all the mechs were willing to share. Placing one of the sensory dullers and fuel refiners onto the side of Starscream's neck joint, where the data ports accepted them to integrate them into his circuitry immediately, he noticed an almost instant effect as the Air Commander's optics brightened a little due to the fact that the refiner was cycling numerous different kinds of toxics out of his fuel.

Turning around, he strode over to the other berth with a confidence he didn't really feel in his spark. Part of him was afraid, these Seekers had bombarded him and his comrades on the battlefields numerous times, yet his programming overruled his fear. After a firm reprimand of his programming that these were his patients now, his spark settled down and worry crept up on him. "The lack of sensory data may startle you once I place the duller over your readouts, but it will only be applied for the repairs. Is that all right with you?" Ratchet took special care in asking the frightened looking Seeker for permission, giving him the opportunity to decline or affirm that he trusted him enough to at least let him help him. Partially he had decided to do so already, the fact that he had come here showed it. After a very hesitant nod from the flier, Ratchet took a step closer and slowly reached for his neck joint, slightly guiding Skywarp to turn his cranial unit to the side with light touches so that he could induct the duller into the ports appropriately.

"Patched, we're not leaking anything," Starscream insisted, relaxing as the persistent pain faded. "And... for me, well, how long have I been gone? For 'Warp, about half that, but he's never..." Noticing all the other Seekers were looking at him, Starscream stopped talking. Dirge had had some clue, but most of them didn't really know what Megatron DID to Starscream, this was their first time hearing it, their first time really noticing how blasé the white Seeker was about his state.

Skywarp gave a whimper, locking optics with Thundercracker. The blue jet nodded a little, "Medi- Ratchet. Is there some place I can be to still touch 'Warp without being in your way?" The three Coneheads were discussing something with glances and motions, and finally Dirge and Thrust moved a little ways out, turning their backs on the happenings inside the med-bay.

"An orn, you sophisticated slag heap. Which is by far too long to go without proper repairs," Ratchet growled lightly at the Seeker, turning to face the black and purple form of Skywarp. The wingless flier was clinging onto his blue companion and he knew it wouldn't do them any good if he let go.

"You can stay on the opposite side of the berth, but try to keep your hands away from his wing joints and…well, any scrapped plating in general," he ordered, and waited until the Seeker had complied, slipping smoothly onto the other side of the berth, supporting the other flier's lower arms with his hands, so that he could sit in a stable way. Placing the refiner onto the other side of his neck joint made him appear like a bad laugh at the human's Frankenstein, but Ratchet would give anyone the living Pits if they dared to say so.

"I'll see what I can do about your energon lines first." After a nod in acquiescence, he motioned for the Seeker to lie down onto his side. While Skywarp carefully positioned himself on the repair berth, moving slowly so as not to jar anything within his systems further, Ratchet went over the supplies he had of energon lines, sensor nodes, fuel lines and spare parts out of which he could manufacture some new wings for him. Finding everything apart from spare parts to be sufficiently stocked, he quickly radioed into the Ark for Wheeljack, asking him to have someone bring out some more spare parts.

Starscream stayed on the berth, watching Ratchet closely but otherwise relaxed. "Which is why we're HERE, Ratchet. I thought we had been over this. And if you're not going to look at Ramjet's circuits today, then I'm not sure when you'll get the chance. Dirge's trine is still in Megatron's good graces, and it's best for everyone if they stay there, so they'll have to leave in a couple joors." He wasn't trying to stop Ratchet's work on Skywarp, far from it, but the medic needed to know what was going on. "Oh, and when we do go back, Soundwave wants to check repairs to see if he'd trust you with his younglings. And..." Starscream and Ramjet began pulling stuff out of their subspace, whatever Seeker-specific parts they'd been able to get from Hook's stores. "'Warp and TC have some too, but yeah."

Shaking his cranial unit disapprovingly, he let the matter rest. It wouldn't do to admonish the Air Commander on literally scavenging their Constructicon's supplies. "I'll fix his wiring the astrosecond I have your wing mate in recharge," he acknowledged Starscream's request. "Put them into the supply cabinet or onto another berth, I'll sort through them later, might just be that I need some of those parts for your wings or thrusters… probably your cockpits as well," Ratchet mumbled absently and turned back to his patient. The Seeker shivered noticeably as he touched his plating, but the medic didn't let it deter him. Carefully he manipulated the scrapped and cut off wiring, sorting out what he would be able to salvage and what he would have to replace entirely.

Disconnecting and discarding wiring in his wake, clasping salvageable lines off so that the Seeker wouldn't loose fuel, coolant, nor energon, he checked and reapplied every clasp the Decepticon Hook must have put on. He found numerous faults in the way the clasps were applied. It showed painfully that the Constructicon wasn't a medic, but had been created to function and treated others under that aspect as well. Fuel couldn't seep through the clasps, but the way they had been attached had made them painful. Loosing and carefully resettling the clasps he noticed how Skywarp gradually began to stop trembling and almost relaxed on the berth. It wasn't as if he could blame him, pit he understood pain all too well. Thankfully, Thundercracker managed to keep the Seeker calm through the entire process.

Ramjet carried the parts to another berth, glaring at Starscream and practically daring him to move. Starscream glared back, but didn't leave the berth. He didn't understand why the conehead was being so... helpful. It wasn't like their trines had ever gotten along THAT well, after all... "Recharge, 'Warp. You'll be fine, everything will be fine. TC will be here when you wake up." Skywarp looked at Starscream with obvious fear, but obeyed his order anyway, slowly drifting off.

"Don't think we don't know," Ramjet said suddenly, not looking at anyone. "Never thought there was a reason for us not to be seen as friendly with you? But don't mind me. Ramming so much rattled my processor." Seeming satisfied with what he'd said, the cone headed Seeker went back to laying the parts out on the berth, wandering over and collecting what Thundercracker pulled out.

What the conehead said actually had more merit than Ratchet would have assumed at first glance. But then again, he had only recently remembered that the Decepticons they were fighting were just mechs like themselves. "I've asked you how long it's been since you've last consumed energon, Starscream, and I do intend to be answered. Got it?" He snapped at the Air Commander, aware that every online optic in the room turned to him at his sharp reprimand. None of them were getting it, were they? The time it took for them to internally bleed out… Ratchet didn't dare contemplate it. Continuing to work around the holes in the Seeker's internal linkages, he pulled out all fried sensor nodes and ripped wiring. The pile that task accumulated was frightening in it's size, but he shoved that thought to the back of his processor, instead collecting new wires and sensor nodes to incorporate them into Skywarp's internals.

"I DON'T know, Ratchet! Fraggit, I didn't know how long I'd been GONE, I'd-" Thundercracker interrupted Starscream with a glare.

"Three earth days, I think, since we got energon in you." Only slowly turning his gaze from his trine leader, Thundercracker continued talking, realizing he was probably the only one who actually knew this and could still put it in a sensible manner. "When he got back, Starscream took the time to tell us about the deal he'd made with you before he went to see Megatron. Good thing, because Megatron beat him into unconsciousness. That's when he lost his wings this time. It went that way for half an orn, Hook did what he could. Then 'Warp here suddenly decided to act the hero, tried to stop Megatron. Said something about now that he knew what Screamer was going through... Well, it didn't stop Megatron, but he did mostly leave them alone after that. We've just been waiting for this 'bay to be finished before bothering you, and had to convince Dirge to help us."

"I can't believe you acted so irresponsibly," Ratchet glared at the red and white Seeker. "We made no deal," he continued, looking Thundercracker dead in the optics and noticing the suddenly guarded look and tensing of his frame. "I merely brought forth some knowledge that should've come to your attention before this war ever escalated the way it did. The treaties of old always have been and always will be. It was quite stupid of you to wait with bringing them here. I could've treated them in the Ark and nobody would've minded," Ratchet groused on, trying to calm down and not throw things around. Pit but the Seeker's internals had never been intended to bear such such strain and had probably never been tested to do so before.

"Lay down, Starscream, I won't be risking you upsetting your systems any further. You might be used to the strain, but it's still not healthy. And if you don't know how much time has passed then you should've mentioned that the fragger blew your chronometer. Not as if that's anything important mind ya, it's only hosted right next to your pitforsaken fuel pump!" Anger coursed through him, barely managing to mask his internal worry. His hands though stayed eerily calm, never waving in the process of reattaching wires. After the energon cycle was finished he reinstated it instantly, noticing how the recharging Seekers fans evened out Ratchet calmed a little, apparently the fuel loss hadn't managed to upset Skywarp's systems too badly, otherwise they would've taken longer to readjust.

"WE would have minded," Thundercracker answered firmly, glancing at Starscream. What the pit was wrong with Ratchet, he acted like his was the only possible way of handling things and made NO allowance for circumstances or emotions, it seemed. Starscream shook his head slightly, and Thundercracker cycled his vents and let it go.

Obeying the order and laying down, Starscream smirked. "That's because the fragger didn't blow my chrono. I'm out of the habit of LOOKING at it because most of the time I don't want to KNOW how long a situation has lasted. Enduring something is easier if you don't know how long you've had to endure, if you can convince yourself it's not been that long."

A sharp glare at the Seeker was all with which he showed his irritation. Really, why were most mechs so… dense? It wasn't as if repairs would hurt them and it certainly wasn't as if anybody would hurt a wounded… well, apart from a Decepticon maybe. Not the nicest way to think about the other faction, Ratchet knew, but he'd had proof of such behavior before and wouldn't put it beyond them to expect no less from their enemies.

"Alright…I still don't want you to strain your systems. We agreeing on that one at least?" Ratchet managed to ask over his shoulder, while he reworked the fuel system of the black and purple F-15.

"If you're not going to rework Ramjet, his trine NEEDS to go," Starscream repeated. "We need someone to keep us in... survivable graces, just long enough until we're strong enough to KILL Megatron.." He'd thought he'd said this before... but he hadn't been so blunt. He hadn't thought he needed to, had forgotten Autobots weren't used to treachery and deception like his own faction was.

Fixing the Air Commander with an intense glare, optics narrowing, he dimmed his vision briefly before he swept his gaze over the conehead. "There's a berth behind you. Lie down and I'll apply some standard dampeners for the procedure. Should I worry about a refiner as well?" he asked in a clipped and clinical tone. Ratchet refused to share his opinion about the Decepticon's plans, but he would tolerate that they had finally realized what would stop the war... yet the means to achieve that weren't supported by him.

And now he had the medic glaring at him. Oh well... they'd have at least some time to work things out. At least Starscream thought they would. ...Hoped they would, honestly.

"I've been fueling fine. Just know I have stuff in my circuits from ramming everything," Ramjet answered calmly, laying back on the berth and appearing totally relaxed. It wasn't that he was ignorant of the silent conversation Ratchet and Starscream seemed to be having, but there was nothing he could do about it, not yet, so he ignored it.

Leaving the black and purple Seeker to his recharge and allowing his systems to settle with the new repairs, Ratchet went over to the last berth holding a patient for him. It was ludicrous, but on his very first day in this new medbay he was already treating more patients than he had had to deal with in his very first orn after gaining his mastership. Somehow it made him want to laugh and cry at the same time. The first thing he did as he reached the conehead was to place the dampener onto his neck joint. Seeing that most of his vital systems were hidden within his cockpit, which was integrated into his very cranial unit, Ratchet would have to work very carefully. Going over the various systems one by one he found that he had to replace and even disable systems at times. "Stuff in his circuits my aft... this is more stuff than circuits!" growling lowly he could barely refrain from snarking over the obvious neglect the jet's systems had suffered.

Ratchet's complaint was met with silence, the online Seekers deciding that it wasn't worth trying to defend themselves. Time passed, mostly silent, Thundercracker gently petting the recharging Skywarp, Thrust and Dirge keeping watch for anything that might try attacking, and Starscream watching Ratchet work on Ramjet. It wasn't that he didn't trust the medic, far from it. He simply liked watching Ratchet, and there was no harm in that. Even if there was, the white Seeker didn't care.

Time crept by and slowly he was advancing onto a point that was as close to a schematic base of action as it could be. Almost all connections had been disabled by him for now so that he could work up from the deepest recesses of the jet's circuitry, which had effectively forced his patient into a little stasis like recharge. Reconnecting wires step by step, he had to replace wires and ports as he went, but at least now it had a structure. Cutting some lines that were simply too long to fit into the whole picture otherwise, he optimized the energon circle to a marginally lesser entirety, as well as the data lines, hoping that it might gain the trine leader the added advantage he might just need to stay online. Once he was finished, he cycled air through his vents sharply and initiated the onlining process by dislodging the dampener from Ramjet's neck joint to allow him sensory access once more. Stepping back from his patient he gave him a few clicks to regain himself and then ran a light scan over him. "I can't find anything out of place that I included in this session's repairs. Does anything feel even remotely out of place to you?" Ratchet asked, jotting down some notes on a data pad and fixing the jet with a curious gaze.

Ramjet thought for a moment, taking the time to really decide how he felt. "No. Just different." He waited a moment longer, then nodded, "Thank you." He stood up, then then rejoined his trine. They talked a little between themselves, then waved at Ratchet and flew away, leaving Starscream watching Thundercracker pet an offline Skywarp.

"You're unhappy," Starscream observed. It was really very obvious, of COURSE Ratchet was unhappy. The mech had no reason to really be happy, after all, repairing mechs who were just going to go get themselves slagged. But they couldn't just change sides, he'd THOUGHT about that. Optimus meant well, but Starscream was sure it would end in disaster.

"Of course I'm unhappy! What else would you expect me to be with this?" he snarled in anger, gesturing to include the entire room. "You were in danger, all of you, all of this time and I didn't even know! I couldn't see it…I didn't care to see…" Ratchets vocalizer failed at the end, he was horrified with himself. How could he have ignored their pain the way he had done all these eons? How could he dare call himself a medic? He'd not kept to the treaties of old himself, he'd only looked after the faction he was staying with, those that were protecting him had appeared more important. No medic ever should have dared to value one life more than another, yet he'd done exactly that.

"And just how were you SUPPOSED to see? We kept you fair busy repairing the mechs on your own side, you don't know our systems, you don't KNOW how we ACT when we're less than optimal. You had nothing to base our status on but how we acted, and didn't really SEE how we acted to know how we were doing." And wow, Starscream wasn't sure he'd made sense with that sentence. "So really, being angry with yourself is just eating up resources that can be better spent dealing with life."

"Says the one who obsesses over Megatron," Thundercracker interjected, digits trailing over Skywarp's derma. In the absence of wings, that was the only place he could really touch on the younger Seeker that felt... intimate enough to him.

"It shouldn't matter whether I knew how your optimal operation status looked like! I've been around long enough to have seen fliers before this pitlike mess started, thank you very much for your confidence in my professionalism," he growled back, turning his back to the Seeker. How in the name of Primus was he supposed to stay calm when Starscream managed to get into his CPU like he did? Flailing for something to do, he grabbed another set of mid-grade cubes to carry over to Skywarp while he studied the analytical read-out of the coolant sample he'd taken from the flier. He'd have to ask Wheeljack to mix him a few gallons of the brand together if it turned out to be the same one Starscream's systems relied upon.

Starscream looked at Thundercracker, who looked like he was trying not to laugh. "If you're going to ignore me, Ratchet, could you possibly be a little less obvious about it? Because right now you are angry and tense, and I'm feeling like it might be a good idea to treat you like I do my wing-mates when they get like this." That statement shattered Thundercracker's self-control, and the blue Seeker started laughing, though he did try to keep it fairly quiet.

"Whatever," he snapped back, irritated with himself beyond believe. Why couldn't he simply stop? Why was the Seeker so adamant to make this harder than it needed to be? Hadn't they hurt each other enough? At least that was what Ratchet thought, he had probably hurt the Decepticon somehow, but whatever it had been, he was justifying that action with the fact that Starscream had hurt him just the same. Of course it wasn't professional to treat him the way he did, but pit take him if he actually showed him how much the meaningless of their interfacing had hurt him... "Do what you want, but stay on that berth until you're fully repaired. Understood?"

"Oh, I can do that. Just means TC will have to help me out a little..." Why was he so intent on baiting the medic? He'd been a good lay, but so were his wing-mates, and he... well, okay, Starscream had to admit that he DID bate them. But it was more than that, it was more... personal. Because the medic was so tense. Didn't appear to enjoy himself... That was it, he wanted Ratchet to enjoy himself, he wanted to be the one the medic enjoyed... as thanks? As simple thanks for repairing his chassis? No, that didn't make any sense at all...

"Sure, just don't overstrain yourself, I still need to repair a lot of your internal wiring." he mused quietly. Placing the mid-grade cubes into Thundercracker's waiting hands, he motioned at the still offline Skywarp, trying to will him to understand that he wanted him to get it into the other Seeker. He didn't stay to watch the consumption, all he wanted was to get back to his console and analyze that coolant so that he could order more from Wheeljack, so long as Optimus let him. It wouldn't do any good to show the Decepticons' Air Commander that it would hurt to see him be... treated, at least emotionally, by another. Ratchet didn't think himself strong enough to watch...

Thundercracker balanced the energon cube carefully on Skywarp's canopy, where it would be safe as long as the young Seeker didn't wake up. Then he came up behind Ratchet and wrapped the medic in his arms, plucking the sample from Ratchet's hand and putting it on the nearest flat surface. "You don't seem to have understood our Wing-leader. He doesn't let us walk away when we're ignoring him, oh no... And don't worry, I'll feed 'Warp in a moment, promise! As soon as I get your aft over there..." He motioned to the berth where Starscream was reclining, appearing mostly at ease even without his wings.

"Understood?" Ratchet asked startled, a little preoccupied with analyzing the sudden change. He was being encircled into a Seeker's arms and lifted, nothing new about that, not even the lack of aggression within the action surprised him anymore, yet what did startle him was the position. Starscream had lifted him before, cockpit to chestplate, now he felt a cockpit pressing into his back, but most of all...Starscream hadn't pinned his arms to his sides, rendering him almost completely immobile. Frankly, it scared Ratchet to no end to be helpless within his own med-bay, because it was so true, so close to reality that he wanted to cry over it.

"That's right," Starscream answered, smirking as he watched. "You should feel honored, Ratchet... you're the only grounder I'd even consider treating this way..."

Nuzzling Ratchet a little, Thundercracker began carrying the medic towards Starscream. "It's almost a pity I have to feed Skywarp... I wouldn't mind joining in! Screamer had such nice things to say about you..." He was careful in dumping the Autobot onto Starscream, the white Seeker WAS injured, and Thundercracker didn't want either of them to fall of the berth. Starscream just opened his arms and accepted Ratchet, already cooing softly.

He was torn between demanding a real answer and rounding on the Air Commander for sharing information that should've been kept hidden. Not that he could really blame him when Ratchet himself should have done that in the first place, but he still would. "What the pit are you referring to with 'joining in' anyway?" Ratchet had instead settled for snapping and he glared at the Seeker as Starscream just spread his arms and softly began cooing to him of all things! "Primus, quit it! I ain't no scared sparkling!" he growled now more angry than ever.

"You're acting like it," Starscream answered, moving to hold Ratchet and stroke him. "Trying to ignore it and hope it goes away? Life doesn't work like that, and more importantly, WE don't. Now I know I wasn't exactly sane last time I was here... Frag, one could argue I'm not sane now, and if you say it, I'm going shoot you, TC. But I'm not really satisfied with how things ended up... I would at least like to know WHY they went that way! And... Ratchet, really, what do you THINK we mean, join in?"

"How should I know what's going on in your processor?" Ratchet growled, barely managing not to hit the Seeker squarely upon the hinges of his jaw by balling his hands into tight fists. What the frag did he want anyway? "I don't and that's that, now let me go if you're sane again. No more need for charades seeing as that's the case." He did expect the Air Commander to at least react to the hidden fury in his vocalization, but he appeared quite non plussed by his words, as if they hadn't affected him at all!

"Ooh... you're CUTE when you're mad...! But you've not answered my question... We were doing fine, and then you suddenly turned cold...WHY, Ratchet? You say no charades... Sounds good to me. Let's be honest..." Hands, that was right... Starscream moved his own down to surround the balled fists and rubbing them, hoping he was doing the right thing... Well, at doubtful worst, the medic would order Starscream away, but he wouldn't leave Skywarp injured, so that was okay.

"I'm no-" he cut himself off and growled again, noting that he really was acting like a sulking sparkling, but unwilling to give the Seeker any more reason to rile him up. Ratchet truly wasn't cute, period. But really…was it so hard to understand why he was angry? And could they please not discuss this in the middle of treatment, openly in his med bay and with witnesses no less? Ratchet's optics snatched a glance at the blue Seeker, still close by, and quickly averted his gaze again. What was it about Starscream that made him unable to just brush him away? Why did he enjoy the hands lightly stroking his fists, causing them to go almost limp, his grip to slacken as the tension drained out of them, and with the tension went the anger he'd felt at the Air Commander. "Not cold….merely professional, as you'd mentioned you required it," Ratchet confessed in a low whisper, hoping that it would be enough of a precaution to keep the knowledge away from the other Seekers in med bay. He didn't trust them, couldn't trust them the way he did trust Starscream and he surely hoped that that trust wasn't just in vain, that he wasn't in for even more pain than he'd already dealt with.

"FRAG it," Starscream said, loud enough that he obviously didn't care who heard. "Oh, I won't deny the first time WAS need... I would be stupid to TRY denying that. But the second time... you took me to your room. I KNEELED to you, Ratchet! What in the PIT made you think that ... that it was a good idea..." Starscream's voice softened as he spoke. Thundercracker shook his head and went back to sitting on Skywarp's berth, petting the recharging Seeker.

Well, when the Air Commander put it that way he was certainly right. Not that it gave Ratchet any comfort at all that he had indeed analyzed Starscream's need for what it had so obviously been. But when had it been that he'd changed his processor? When had the Seeker decided that he wanted more than to quench his need... when had he decided that he had wanted Ratchet? And just because he had wanted Ratchet then certainly didn't mean that he still wanted him now. "I wasn't certain... I didn't know... I- I've never... Fraggit, what do you think I thought?! You were my patient, still are right now, I'm not supposed to take advantage like that!" He snarled, angry at himself for failing so thoroughly, for making such a miserable error in judgment. "I should've known it wouldn't end well..." Ratchet groused, his hydraulics whining angrily at him as he balled his fists close to the breaking point of linkages.

"I thought you wanted to enjoy yourself with me. I thought you knew I was a Seeker, what that meant... You know, this isn't getting us anywhere. There's too much... bad history and complications..." Starscream cycled his vents and looked away, anger draining into sorrow. "Maybe you're right, maybe I was asking too much." He gave a bitter smile and stroked Ratchet softly before continuing, "What can there be between an Autobot and a Decepticon anyway? At least you can make sure we're repaired, and I don't plan on... hum, being anymore more careless than normal?"

"You thought I wanted, I thought you wanted. In the end we both fragged up, now didn't we? By just assuming and thinking without talking." Ratchet realized with a sad smile. Starscream had sounded so decisive, so sad about something. It was over before it had even started, he had hurt him enough to push him away without even knowing that he had truly been in reach for him. "I don't know what there can be, all I know is what there was. Possibilities are endless, after all, or so it's said. You're right though, I should return to repairs," he admitted, hesitantly brushing over the digits that had stroked his plating.

"Possibilities..." Starscream echoed. "Endless possibilities..." He didn't say anything more, though... Things had just gotten peaceful between them, he didn't want to cause further problems... The war couldn't last forever, could it? And maybe when the war was over... There would be possibilities.

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So, yeah. Please leave a review!


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